SpiritWars®
Frequently Asked Questions

Updated 2/18/2001

This general F.A.Q. should answer some of the most commonly asked questions about SpiritWars.  However, if you don't find the answer here, either go through the main web site or start the game and visit our chat room.  You will find experienced helpers online most of the time who can answer your questions.

Q. Is SpiritWars free?

A. Yes.  An no.  SpiritWars was developed with a dual-version design model.  The free version does offer unlimited free play, and is an entertaining and challenging game in and of itself.  We have had some people log over 3,000 games (and still counting) in the free version.  There is a "pay to play" member version, but no one has to pay anything to enjoy the game.

Q. How do I get SpiritWars?

A. SpiritWars is a true Internet game.  It is distributed only via the Internet and you can download it from our web site.  (Follow this link to download the current version.).

Q. What operating systems does SpiritWars support?

A. SpiritWars is strictly a Windows program.  There are no versions for the Macintosh, Unix or Linux.  We also do not "officially" support either Windows NT or Windows 2000.  (We do expect to release a version later this year that supports these two Windows platforms.)

Q. What kind of game is SpiritWars?

A. SpiritWars is a two-player strategy game.  While it does shares many design aspects commonly found in collectable trading card games, it actually has more in common with traditional board games,  It is a game that was designed to stimulate your intellect and to provide a long-term playing challenge.

Q. How long does a game take to play?

A. The playing time can vary.  Some games take as little as 10 minutes and some can take over an hour.  (As you learn the game, you will see how the varying dungeon designs and playing strategy of individual players can impact the length of any given game.)  However, the average time for a game of SpiritWars is approximately 20-25 minutes.

Q. Is it hard to learn?

A. While SpiritWars is build on a variety of long established game concepts, it is a unique playing experience.  The basic elements of the game are quite simple to grasp.  You put pieces into play, move them on the map (game board), attack your opponent and cast magical spells.  Don't be deceived, however, by the simplicity of the mechanics.  We have players who have been trying to master the long-term complexity of the game for more than two years.

Q. How do I get started?

A. First, you need to download the SpiritWars installation program from out web site.  Then run the application.  The first time you connect, you will need to follow the prompts on the screen to create a new player account.  Once you connect to our servers, you will be taken directly into our chat room where you can find experienced and friendly folks who will be glad to help you with your first game.  (It is also strongly recommended that you read the Quick Start Tutorial before attempting to play your first game.  It only takes a few minutes, but is time well invested.)

Q. I'm having problems connecting. What should I do?

A. First, check to make sure your Internet connection is working. Try to ping kcs.spiritwars.com and the web site of your ISP. Try to check your email or see if you can browse to multiple locations. If those all check out then try closing SpiritWars and restarting.  If everyone agrees something is amiss then please let us know ASAP so we can look into it.

Q. Could my firewall or proxy server be a problem?

A. Ask your network administrator to allow TCP connections to ports 4000-4010.  (Each chat room is a separate chat server with its own port assignment.  The free version uses ports 4001-4005 for chat and the member version is using ports 4006-4010.)

Q. What screen resolution should I be using?

A. We don't support 640x480 screen size, so you must be running in at least 800x600 screen resolution and you must have at least 16-bit color (what Win95 calls 'High' color).  The game also does not support the "large font" option in Windows.  If you get a message when starting the game about this, please set your Windows configuration to use "small fonts."

Q. What if my question wasn't answered in this FAQ?

A. Try writing to us via this feedback form or, if the game is installed, log into the chat server and ask a friendly moderator or player that's currently online.

Q. Why are there two lists of names in the chat room?

A. The top list of names shows the list of all players who are currently in the room.  The bottom list shows just the players who are currently available to play.  (The rest are either already playing a game with someone or are busy editing their dungeon.)

Q. Why are people's names different colors?

A. You will notice that the names of some players in the top list (Players in Room) display in varying colors.  These are color keyed to help identify our online team of helpers.  The names displayed in green are experienced players who have volunteered to help new players learn the game.  The names in red are our moderators.  They also help new players, but also can deal with problems and disruptive players.  The yellow color denotes our tournament hosts.  The blue name is Randy Chase's personal color to help you realize when he is in the chat room and available to answer your questions personally.

Q. How do I start a game?

A. To start a game, highlight the name of someone who is displayed the in "Available Players" list and click on the challenge button.

Q. Where do I find the Quick Start Tutorial?

A. There are a set of web links in the upper right corner of the chat interface.  Click on the "Tutorial" link to open the web-based tutorials.

Q. Why do some features in the chat interface not work?

A. While the free version of SpiritWars does provide an unprecedented level of long-term playing appeal, the member version is what supports the games continued existence.  Accordingly, there are some features that you aren't able to access when playing the free version.