README.TXT for Blizzard's Battle.net Beta Program 1. How to get onto Battle.net 2. How to report bugs 3. Technical Support 4. Latency Issues 5. Known Bugs 6. AOL Issues 7. Auto-dialing 8. End of Beta Period 1. HOW TO GET ONTO BATTLE.NET Connecting to Battle.net is accomplished by selecting the Multiplayer option from the Main Menu in Diablo. Then select the character you wish to play. If it is your first time on Battle.net, you will need to create a new character. When you have selected the character that you wish to play, you will select Battle.net from the list of multiplayer connection types. Please note that in the Battle.net Beta your only available option is Battle.net. Before you can connect to Battle.net, you will need to enter your Battle.net Beta ID #. This was given to you when you joined the beta test program. Your ISP software will automatically dial into Battle.net and connect you with the other testers. If you experience any difficulties in using Battle.net, please check the F1 on-line help in the Battle.net chat area or head to the Technical Support area on the Battle.net web site. 2. HOW TO REPORT BUGS Open the folder where your copy of Diablo is installed and double-click on the BNBETA.TXT file. This will open a form that is to be used to report any bugs found during the Battle.net Beta test. Please fill this form out as completely as possible and attach it to an email addressed to "bnbeta@blizzard.com". If you have a saved character file that exhibits consistent bug behavior (Example: every time you enter a multiplayer game with a specific character it crashes, but other characters are fine) please include the Diablo.sv file with your e-mail. NOTE: Our primary focus while running the Battle.net Beta is to find any bugs with our on-line service as well as this limited version of Diablo. We encourage you to voice your ideas and opinions of the game in the Forum on the Battle.net Website, but please, only report bugs to "bnbeta@blizzard.com". 3. TECHNICAL SUPPORT We will have live technical support on Battle.net during the Battle.net Beta period. We will not be offering technical support through our normal tech lines, so please do not call the technical support department at Blizzard. If you have technical questions or require assistance with the Battle.net Beta, please use the Technical Support channel on battle.net or e-mail "bnbeta@blizzard.com". 4. LATENCY ISSUES While you are in the Battle.net Chat area, you will see colored bars next to players names. These bars reflect the latency between you and each of the other players. This is not an indication of your connection to Battle.net. For best results, enter into games with other players whose bars are shown as green. 5. KNOWN BUGS This is a list of known bugs with the Battle.net Beta. You will NOT need to report these bugs to our QA Assault Team. a. Town Portals sometimes reset if you cast them near stairs. Example: Cast a town portal near the stairs to level 2 and go through it, up to town. Now come back down through the Portal immediately (going back to level 2). The portal will disappear correctly from level 2. However, if you go up the stairs to level 1 and then come back down to level 2, the Portal is back again. b. Casting Telekinesis repeatedly on a monster will sometimes make that monster non-selectable and invulnerable. The monster can also be walked through. This occurs less than 10% of the time. c. If one character casts spells that have lasting effects (i.e. Chain-lightning, Firewall, etc.) as a character is coming down the stairs, the character walking entering the level will not see the spell animation when he arrives on the level. d. Removing items that are keeping you alive in town will make you die in town. Example: A character has an item that grants him +33 hp. The character has only 10 HP, removes the item and instantly dies. e. A Monster is attacking one player on one side of the screen, then >BLOOP< he is attacking the other player on the other side of the screen. NOTE: This is called warping and occurs during internet games when latencies between players are high. f. Some systems may experience problems if they have Microsoft Office Manager (or other desktop oriented task bars) loaded when starting Diablo. We suggest you close all other programs when starting Diablo. 6. AOL ISSUES This is a list of problems currently encountered when using Battle.net over America Online: a. AOL is not yet compatible with 32-bit Windows socket applications. They are expected to release this functionality any day now, so keep checking with them for an update. b. In order to play Diablo over the Internet, you must be able to receive packets of game data from other players (technically, UDP packets). AOL does not currently forward this type of packet to their customers. We will be enhancing battle.net in the coming days to relay this type of packet using a connection type that AOL does support. c. AOL's connection to the Internet is often very slow, which can make multiplayer games between AOL users and users of other service providers almost unplayable. Blizzard is working with AOL to put a battle.net server at AOL's site. This will dramatically increase the speed for games that include only AOL users. 7. AUTO-DIALING Diablo may auto-dial your Internet provider while connecting to Battle.net. For this beta, it does not automatically hang up when Diablo exits. Make sure you hang up your phone after quitting Diablo. 8. END OF BETA PERIOD At conclusion of Battle.net Beta testing period, all beta software will cease to function over Battle.net. We will make sure that all of our testers are informed of when the Beta period will end.