Enhanced Online

Enhanced Online Play:

Basic description of playing VP on the internet:

To play Virtual Pool 3 on the internet, simply click on the Internet Play choice on the Main Menu. Gamespy Arcade™ will launch if you have it installed already.

When you install Virtual Pool 3 you will have the option of installing Gamespy Arcade and any recent updates to the program. If you forgot to install it or didn’t think you needed it during installation, look for the Gamespy Arcade directory on the CD.

Firewalls or Internet Connection Sharing Problems:
If you are using a firewall or some form of internet connection sharing (such as a proxy server, gateway, router, etc.) there may be problems playing VP3 online. If you are using a firewall you will either need to disable it while playing VP3 online or configure it to allow online play. If you are using a form of internet connection sharing you will need to either play VP3 online on a system that has direct access to the internet or configure your sharing software/hardware to allow online play. The best place to find information on firewall setup is GameSpy at http://www.gamespyarcade.com/support/. There is also some information on configuring firewalls and internet connection sharing software/hardware in the readme.txt file or at the Celeris website at http://www.celeris.com/support/vp3.html

How to get connected:

When Gamespy Arcade™ launches you will be presented with the Connection Menu.

If you already have a profile then press the Connect button. If you don’t have a profile, press the Login Wizard button to create a new profile.

The VP3 Website, a place to learn more about VP Online, and pool in general:

To get to the VP3 Website, look in the Network area on the left side of your Gamespy Arcade™ screen. Select the VP3 icon and double click to be taken to the website.

Basic description of GameSpy Arcade:

GameSpy Arcade is an online multiplayer environment that helps you find and set up games with people all around the world. You can use it to set up games of Virtual Pool 3, chat with other players, and meet new ones.

How to use GameSpy Arcade to create or enter a pool room and find your friends:

Joining a Game

If you're like us, you hate reading help files -- you just want to play! No worries. Joining a game is easy.

1. Pick your game.
Click on the game icon for the game you want on the left-hand side of the program. You'll be taken to a chat room for that game, which will appear in the lower half of the center window of the application.

You can hang out in the chat room and talk to people or get right to the good stuff. The upper half of the window is a listing of all the rooms set up for the game you want to play. Again, the lower half of the window is a chat area -- start typin' to start talkin'.

2. Join a Game Room.
To join a game room, double-click on it in the upper window. The Players column will let you know how many people are in there, and the "Ping" column will show you how good your connection to the server is -- the lower the ping the better!

Once you've double-clicked on a room you want to join, you'll enter the setup room for the game. Instead of all the noise of the main game room, you'll just be chatting with the people you're going to play the game with. You can argue about rules or teams or who's got the coolest nickname.

Now, how cool is that map? It shows geographically where all the players in the room live. And it's even cooler than you think: Click on it to switch from a world map to a U.S. map. Oh, but if a player doesn't enter their zip code in the setup screen, we won't be able to locate them on the map -- so enter your zip code! Under the map, you can see everyone's connection speed; hopefully, everyone's about equal. The red and green dots next to everyone's name indicate if they're ready to start the game or not (green means ready, of course).

3. Ready up!
Click on the big "Ready" button at the top of the screen to indicate that you're ready to go. (If you want to bail out of the game, you can always click the "Leave" button in the top left corner to go back to the main room.)

4. Play!
Once everyone has readied up, the game host can launch the game by clicking the Launch button. Everyone in the game room will automatically launch into the game, and soon, you'll all be playing together. Simplicity!

Starting a Game

Once you know how to join a game (see Joining a Game), starting one of your own is very simple.

1. Pick your game.
Click on the icon of the game you want on the left side of the program. You'll go to a chat room for that game.

2. Click on the "Create Game" button.
This will create your own room that other people can join. To get it set up, type in a name for your room, set the maximum number of players and select the game type.

Tip: Name your game room something helpful. Something like "Southern California 2-on-2 teamplay" tells people what type of server you're running and where it is, which is nice. "Everyone sucks but me!!" is certainly catchy -- but not as helpful. But hey, it's your call.

3. Wait for people to join.
It won't be long before people will start coming to your game room. You'll be able to chat with players as the room fills up.

Try to ensure that everyone has a good connection to your game. Look at the little status bars by their names. If any single player has a really bad connection, it may mean a bad game for them, or worst case scenario, they may mess up the game for everyone who's playing.

4. Ready up and start the game!
Once everyone has clicked the Ready button (the light next to their name will turn green), just press Launch Game to start your game. It's a cakewalk

Finding Your Friends

GameSpy Arcade has a new PlayerSpy feature that lets you see when all your friends are online. You can send messages and invite them to join games, no matter what room they're in. This is good stuff, so pay attention.

1. Viewing Your PlayerSpy List

Click on the star icon to display (or hide) your PlayerSpy list of friends. Your friends will show up as little happy faces if they're online with Arcade (because everyone's happy when they use GameSpy Arcade). If you've just started using the program, your list is probably empty -- hopefully not for lack of friends. Let's add some people.

2. Adding New Friends

There are two ways to add your friends to your PlayerSpy menu. The first is to click on the PlayerSpy menu option at the top of the application, then select Find Players in the list that appears. You'll then get a dialogue box where you can search for people by their nickname, real name, e-mail address and more. You can also access this search window by double-clicking on the PlayerSpy icon that appears at the top of your list of contacts when you click the star icon.

Keep in mind that if your friends didn't enter certain info when they walked through the Arcade setup screen, you won't be able to find them using that information.

The other way to add friends is directly from the chat window. While you're talking with someone, just right-click on his or her name and select Add to Player List. This is a great way to meet new people and stay in touch.

3. Sending Messages to Friends

Just right-click on someone's name in your PlayerSpy list, and you can send them a text message. Here's a fine example of how you can use PlayerSpy to foster the bonds of brotherhood with your fellow man (or woman):

If a fellow player is online, their location will be shown under their name in your PlayerSpy list so you can seek and destroy. Right-clicking on any name in your PlayerSpy list will also give you other options, such as whether or not to show locations and how to sort the list.

Challenge Rooms: Challenge rooms are basically like putting your quarter on the table at the local bar. Each match is one game with the winner staying on. Anybody entering the room as a spectator gets put on the end of the waiting list. Losing also puts you on the end of the list.

Tournaments Leagues and Ladders: For more information about playing online tournaments, leagues and ladders go to the VP3 fan site at www.vphq.com