CptSiskoX's Creatures and Creatures 2 Speed-Up Tips
Revised: 9-14-98
(C) 1998 by CptSiskoX@Geocities.com

Creatures 1 AND Creatures 2 Speed-Up Tips

1. For maximum performance of these "game" I suggest downloading and installing the latest version
of Microsoft's DirectX. At the time this was written, the most current version was DirectX 6. You
can download it from Microsoft's DirectX Website or if you have Windows 98, you can download
DirectX 6 from Microsoft's Windows Update site. Do not try to install DirectX 6 if you are using
Microsoft Windows NT 4 or lower. Windows NT 4.0 only supports DirectX 3. If you have
Windows 95 or Windows 98, then you should upgrade to DirectX 6. DirectX 6 seems to make
both "games" crash less and work a little more smoothly.

2. Try setting your display to "FULL" acceleration in Control Panel, System, Performance. This
very likely will increase your performance in Creatures 1 and Creatures 2. Note that some systems
might have problems if you use this setting but the majority should work fine. Under "File System"
try setting it to "Network Server" even if your PC's role isn't a Network Server. This will increase your
hard disk's speed substantially. I take no responsibilityfor anything that happens to your computer as a
result of using these tips, so don't blame me if something goes wrong.

3. Try to spread your Norns, Grendels, and/or Ettins apart a little bit. Small groups are usually best because
they can still breed but your PC isn't as bogged down.

4. If you frequently have errors, try running a ScanDisk by clicking "Start" then "Run" and typing in "ScanDisk"
and clicking "OK" - this will bring up the ScanDisk program which will allow you to check your hard drive(s)
for errors. Once that's done, you might want to try running a Disk Defragmentation. To do this, click "Start"
then "Run" and type in "Defrag" - then click "OK" and this will speed up your hard drive a great deal in many
cases.

5. If your computer is still slow, try closing any other programs that may be running before you open Creatures
or Creatures 2. Pressing ALT-CTRL-DELETE together and then choosing "END TASK" for any items other
than "EXPLORER" and "SYSTRAY" will usually help speed things up.

6. If you've done all the other tips and it hasn't helped your performance problems, then try exporting your
Creatures that you want to keep and then use the Creatures 1 or Creatures 2 "Emergency Kit" to create
a brand new world. Then re-import the Creatures you want to use. This will get rid of any COBs you
added to the "games" and will put your creatures in a "fresh" world that should operate a lot faster
since it isn't bogged down by all kinds of COB add-ins/add-ons.