Darkspore.

[Mario]

Here is the official Darkspore readme file.

Darkspore(tm)
©2011 Electronic Arts Inc.
March 22, 2011
Version 1.0


== Table of Contents ==
General
System Requirements
Known Hardware Issues
Performance Tips
Notes
Gameplay Controls
Compatibility Notes


General
=======

Welcome to Darkspore! We hope you enjoy playing! For the latest up-to-date information, the latest adventures, and more, please visit: http://www.darkspore.com


System Requirements
===================

Darkspore requires at least the following:

FOR WINDOWS XP
* 3.0 GHz P4 or Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2GHz or equivalent or faster
* 2 GB RAM
* A 256 MB Video Card with support for Shader Model 3.0
* The latest version of DirectX 9.0c
* Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 3
* Up to 10 GB of hard drive space
* Broadband Internet Connection Required

FOR WINDOWS VISTA
* 3.0 GHz P4 or Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2GHz or equivalent or faster
* 2 GB RAM
* A 256 MB Video Card with support for Shader Model 3.0
* Microsoft Windows Vista Service Pack 2
* Up to 10 GB of hard drive space
* Broadband Internet Connection Required

FOR WINDOWS 7
* 3.0 GHz P4 or Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2GHz or equivalent or faster
* 2 GB RAM
* A 256 MB Video Card with support for Shader Model 3.0
* Up to 10 GB of hard drive space
* Broadband Internet Connection Required


Supported Video Cards
---------------------

Video card must be 256MB or more and contain these chipsets or better:
NVIDIA GeForce 8800
ATI X1900
Intel® HD Graphics

Laptop versions of these chipsets may run comparatively slower.

Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required.

Please note that attempting to play the game using video hardware that isn’t listed above may result in reduced performance, graphical issues or cause the game to not run at all.


Known Hardware Issues
=====================

When changing the display size, in some situations the monitor may not respond to a resolution it claims to support, showing a black or distorted display. If this occurs switch to windowed mode, and then change the resolution and refresh rate back to smaller values.


Performance Tips
================

When you run Darkspore for the first time, the game will automatically select the most appropriate options for your system. To improve performance, use the options panel to lower your settings.

Darkspore is a real-time 3D game that requires the majority of your computer's processing power. Other programs operating in the background may slow it down or cause hitches. For best results, be sure to close any background applications while playing Darkspore.

Fullscreen performance is generally better than windowed performance.


Notes
=====

Darkspore Error Messages
--------------------

Below are some error and warning messages you may see from the game, along with suggestions for fixing them.

1000: Another instance of Darkspore is already running. Please quit or kill it first.

1001: The game cannot find any valid display modes. Please ensure your display is set to 32 bits.

1002: Direct X is not installed. Please install it, or reinstall the game.

1004: The game cannot find its data directory. Please reinstall the game.

1010 It is recommended that you update your graphics card drivers to avoid compatibility issues. Generally you can do this by going to the website of the hardware manufacturer for your card. The sites for NVIDIA, ATI, and Intel are:

http://www.nvidia.com/content/drivers/drivers.asp
http://ati.amd.com/support/driver.html
http://support.intel.com/support/graphics/

1011: It is required that you upgrade your graphics card drivers to avoid serious issues with the game. Please see above.

1012: The game has issues with this card in multi GPU mode. Please either update your drivers, or disable multi GPU mode from the vendor's control panel.

2001: The system is below our min spec, and we cannot run at all.

2002: The system is below our min spec, and you may experience graphical, performance, or audio issues.

2003: You are running a version of Vista that has issues with graphics cards with large amounts of VRAM. Please either update to SP2, or install the corresponding fix from

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/940105


Online Help
-----------

The Electronic Arts Customer Support site is located at

http://support.ea.com

for North American users or

http://eusupport.ea.com

for European users.

Use the search tools to find the information you need. The Knowledge Base is updated as new information becomes available, so check back for the latest news and information.


Installing the Game
-------------------

Windows (disc users):
* Insert the disc into your disc drive and follow the on-screen instructions.
* Once the game has installed you can launch it by locating the game through the Start menu.
* Games on Windows Vista & Windows 7 are located in the Start > Games menu and on earlier versions of Windows in the Start > Programs (or All Programs) menu.

Windows (EA Store users):
* Once the game has been downloaded by EA Download Manager, click the install icon that appears and follow the on-screen instructions.
* Launch the game (once it is installed) directly from the EA Download Manager.

In Windows Vista & Windows 7 Classic Start menu style, games are located in the
Start > Programs > Games > Games Explorer menu.


Digital Retail Installation
---------------------------

Please contact the digital retailer through whom you purchased this game for instructions on how to install the game or how to download and reinstall another copy of the game.

Note: If you’d like additional information about your game as well as tips and patches please visit http://www.ea.com or http://www.eastore.com.


Uninstalling the Game
---------------------

Windows XP:
* Open Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel.
* Click on Change or Remove Programs.
* Click on the Darkspore program entry.
* Click on the Remove button.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

Windows Vista:
* Open the Programs and Features control panel.
* Click on the Darkspore program entry.
* Click on the Uninstall button.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.

Windows 7:
* Open the Programs and Features in Control Panel.
* Click on the Darkspore program entry.
* Click on the Uninstall button.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the uninstallation.


Locations On Disk
-----------------

Darkspore keeps your data in a folder called "Darkspore". The location of this folder depends on your OS:

Windows XP:
* "Darkspore" is located in your "My Documents" folder.

Windows Vista:
* "Darkspore" is located in your “Documents” folder.

Windows 7:
* "Darkspore" is located in your "Documents" folder


Gameplay Controls
======================

Move hero/Interact Left-click
Attack Left-click
Attack in place Right-click/Shift (hold) + Left-click
Special abilities 1-5
Switch to first hero Q
Switch to second hero W
Switch to third hero E
Toggle navigation arrow ON/OFF N
Reply to a whisper R
Toggle radar ON/OFF O (multiplayer only)
Trigger overdrive SPACEBAR
Open chat window ENTER
Open option menu ESC
Open inventory window I
Toggle mini-map ON/OFF M
Display opponents Squad Info TAB

Hero Editor Controls
--------------------

Select part Left-click
Rotate camera Right-click (hold)
Zoom camera SHIFT + Mouse wheel
Display advanced rotation handles TAB (hold) after selecting part
Move gear asymmetrically A (hold) after selecting part
Undo last change CTRL + Z
Redo last change CTRL + Y
Rotates camera </>
Zoom camera IN/OUT -/+


Compatibility Notes
===================

Darkspore is designed to run on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows7 compatible systems. Drivers for these devices are provided by the respective card manufacturer and may result in compatibility issues beyond our control.

If you are experiencing any issues, it is always recommended that you obtain and install the latest drivers for your hardware. The majority of hardware vendors have the latest drivers available for download via their websites.

More information on known technical issues is available at
http://www.darkspore.com/help.


Thanks for playing Darkspore!
The Darkspore Team