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        TalkWorld Help v1.1
 Monday the 5th of February, 2001

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Table of contents.

1.1 Help file introduction

2.1 System requirements
2.2 Installing TalkWorld
2.3 Setting your Character
2.4 Registering TalkWorld

3.1 Basic commands
3.2 Exploring the world
3.3 Using the mouse
3.4 Talking to users

4.1 Advanced options
4.2 Message functions
4.3 Program options
4.4 Sound options

5.1 TalkWorld F.A.Q.




1.1 Help file introduction
An introduction to TalkWorld

Welcome to the help file for TalkWorld. We have tried to keep this document simple and avoid using technical jargon. 

You may want to print this document out so that it is easy to consult should you have difficulty whilst on-line.

TalkWorld.

TalkWorld is a 'virtual chat environment,' it is a program that allows you to use the Internet to talk to other users of TalkWorld from anywhere on Earth. When you join TalkWorld you will be represented in a visual form by a computer sprite, sometimes called your 'character' or 'avatar'. Providing you have registered the appearance of your character can be set by you. TalkWorld includes a large range of different Male and Female sections that you can put together to create your own personalized design. Non registered users all have identical appearances.

One of the advantages of chat programs is that they are extremely cheap to use. For instance an hour spent talking to someone internationally by telephone would cost you a large amount of money even at the cheapest rate. However because using the Internet is always at local phone rates the same international conversation will cost next to nothing. Most chat programs will allow you to type messages to other users but this can be slow so TalkWorld allows you to actually speak to other users using your microphone and speakers, just as if you were speaking on the telephone.

TalkWorld is designed to represent a small town. Because it is a graphical environment it is easier to use than text only chat programs and can be interesting to explore even when there are only a few users on-line. You can see other users moving around, you can walk into the buildings, in short your character can do most of the things you can do in reality. 

Another advantage TalkWorld has over older chat programs is that it allows you to send e-mails to other registered users which they can pick up next time they are on-line, or leave messages on notice boards that are accessible to everyone.


2.1 System requirements
System requirements

At the time of writing TalkWorld is only available for Microsoft Windows 95/98/NT and 2000. TalkWorld is not compatible with DOS or Windows 3.x or earlier.

Your computer must have at least 8mb (megabytes) of RAM and needs to have around 10mb of hard disk space for TalkWorld to install into.

A TCP - IP Internet connection with an Internet Service Provider and a 32 bit Winsock. Most companies support this but some companies like Compuserve or AOL may not. Check with your service provider to find out if yours does.

You need to have loaded the Microsoft Direct X drivers version 2.0 or higher. If you have loaded any recent Windows 95/98 computer games onto your machine then you may already have them, if not the drivers are available from our web site's download page at http://www.talkworld-online.com/ or direct from Microsoft's site (http://www.microsoft.com/directx).

A modem capable of at least 9600 bps.

Above are the minimum requirements to run TalkWorld. Providing you meet these specifications the program will run but you may find the speed is a little lacking. Below is what we recommend to get the best performance from TalkWorld.

A Pentium processor (TalkWorld makes extensive use of the Pentiums FPU.)

16mb of RAM and around 50mb of free hard disk space for TalkWorld to use as it needs to.

A full duplex sound card and a microphone, without these TalkWorld still works but you will be missing out on the speech. TalkWorld also works with half duplex sound cards. (See the sound page for more information.)

A 28.8 bps or higher modem/internet connection. The faster the better.


2.2 Installing TalkWorld
Installing TalkWorld

Below is the process you need to follow to install TalkWorld onto your hard disk. The procedure is written for beginners so experienced computer users should be able to move quickly through this section. For all you beginners reading this, don't worry if it seems complicated, just follow the instructions through one by one and you'll be fine.

First of all if you have not already done so you will need to download the TalkWorld program from our web site. It is available from our download page at http://www.talkworld-online.com/.

If you do not have Microsoft's Direct X drivers loaded on your machine you will need to install them before using TalkWorld. When you have downloaded them from our download page simply double click on the Direct X icon to begin installation. Follow the installation programs instructions and restart your machine when it asks you to. 

To install TalkWorld make sure that you do not have any other programs running on your machine then double click on the 'talkwrld.exe' icon that will have appeared when you downloaded the program. Now all you have to do is let the program guide you through. It will install itself and create an icon on the windows 'start' button. Simply click on the TalkWorld icon to begin chatting.


2.3 Setting your Character
Setting your characters design.

When TalkWorld loads up you will be presented with a 'quick login screen.' If this is the first time you have used TalkWorld then you should click on the 'change' button to be taken to the character editor screen (see below). If your user name is already in the quick login window because you have used TalkWorld before then click on the continue' button to enter TalkWorld.

Click on the 'character editor' icon and you will be presented with the 'character editor' screen. Here registered users can customize their character's name and appearance. If you have not registered then simply click the 'OK' button to be logged in as a guest. You will not be able to enter a name or change your appearance.

If you are a registered user enter the name and password that you selected in the appropriate boxes. Note that your TalkWorld name and password are case sensitive. Now you can select the sex of your character and cycle through the outfits until you are satisfied. If you put a check mark in the 'remember name and password' box then TalkWorld will save your name, password, appearance and location when you log off and use these settings next time you log back on. Using this option is not recommended if other people have access to your P.C. Remember, the name and appearance you choose will tell other users a lot about you, so if you want to have a serious political discussion it's no good calling yourself "Mr. axe head!"


2.4 Registering TalkWorld
Registering TalkWorld

When you have downloaded TalkWorld you can use the program as a 'Guest' user. This disables some of TalkWorlds features (e.g. you can receive voice-mail but not send it.) So you will need to register your copy of TalkWorld to get the most from it.

By registering you will receive:

Unlimited use of TalkWorld for as long as you are subscribed.

The ability to customise your TalkWorld characters appearance and description.

A free TalkWorld e-mail account.

The ability to send speech to other users as well as receiving it.

Your own, unique logon name.

Free upgrades to the TalkWorld software for as long as you are subscribed.

Unlimited technical support by e-mail for as long as you are subscribed.

The easiest (and quickest) way to register your copy of TalkWorld is to fill in your details on our download web page. By using our registration form you will be registered instantly and can start chatting straight away. 

To access our download / registration web page click on the 'character editor' whilst in Talkworld and use the button there.

If you have any problems with the on-line registration or want to register in another way you can use e-mail. To register your copy of TalkWorld by e-mail simply cut and paste the following form into a message and send it to us at info@talkworld-online.com. 

Cut here.
YOUR REAL NAME: 
YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS: 
YOUR CHOICE OF TALKWORLD PASSWORD: 
YOUR TALKWORLD CHARACTERS NAME:
2ND CHOICE OF NAME: 
3RD CHOICE OF NAME: 
THE COUNTRY YOU ARE IN: 
THE NAME OF YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER:
Cut here.

The last line is optional, it is simply for our records. All of the other lines are required. We need three names in case your first choice has been taken by another user. Please note that user names and passwords are case sensitive and should not include spaces.


3.1 Basic commands

TalkWorld basic commands

This section is intended to be a basic guide to Talkworld, it will teach you to move around and type messages to the people around you. Once you feel confident with these basics or, if you are familiar with other chat programs then you may want to move on to part 4. 

Using TalkWorld for the first time. Most of Talkworld is controlled by the mouse. In this guide "click the mouse" refers to a single click of the left button unless otherwise stated. If you push the right button then usually a standard window will pop up with the most useful commands depending on where the pointer is positioned at that time. 


When TalkWorld has loaded you will see a main window showing your view of the world (see below.) The icons above this are shortcuts for the most common menu commands and there are miscellaneous windows down the right hand side. To see what the icons actually do simply place the mouse pointer over them for a few seconds and their name will pop up. 

The pictures on the right of the main view display important information. The largest sub-window is a small version of what your character looks like. You can change your appearance by clicking upon the various body parts of this image. The same goes for the close-up of your face. It will cycle through the happy, normal and unhappy expressions when you click upon it. There is more in this on the next section.

The '1s and 0s' icon will animate when you are receiving updates from the TalkWorld server. If it stops then you may have a bad connection. Below this are the sound icons - a microphone and a speaker. The speaker will animate when there is sound being played, or if someone is trying to speak out loud to you. It can be clicked upon to disable sound (a large X appearing over the speaker when sound is disabled). The microphone icon has two modes - auto-record and push-to-talk record. To change modes again click upon the icon. A large X will appear over it when it is in push-to-talk mode. Otherwise it will animate when your computer is sending sound packets to others. Finally is a compass which tells you which direction you are facing.

Below the main view window is the text window. This is where you will type your messages to other users and other users messages will also appear here. If you wish to say something simply type it out on the keyboard exactly like you would with any word processor and push return. The message will appear next to your name immediately but may take a few seconds to arrive on other users machines (this is called 'lag'), the same is true if somebody else says anything to you.


3.2 Exploring the world
Exploring TalkWorld

The world. TalkWorld is a small town or village which is divided up into several 'areas' such as the Church area or the Tavern area. When you start you may or may not be able to see other users in front of you. Don't worry if you can't see anyone else, TalkWorld can take a while to explore thoroughly on foot so we've included the 'who?' buttons to save you time. 

There are three 'who?' buttons on the bar above the main view screen, 'world who?' 'area who?' and 'whisper list' The world and area who buttons simply list all of the users in the whole of TalkWorld or only users in your immediate area respectively. The whisper list is a listing of all the users you have selected to hear you when you whisper something (see below).

To start with click on the 'world who?' button and a window with the name of all the users that are currently online will appear.

Exploring TalkWorld. Now you know who else is in the world with you it's time to meet them. To move around in TalkWorld you can either use the mouse or the cursor keys. If you are going to use the keyboard then the four cursor keys correspond to
the direction you will move. You can tell your character to run so that you move more quickly by holding down the shift key. If you wish to use the mouse to move then as long as the mouse pointer is over the main view screen you will see an arrow pointing in a direction. Holding down the left button will make you move in that direction until you let go. The further from the centre of the view screen the pointer is when you hold down the button the faster you will move. Experiment moving yourself around, if you want to enter a door simply walk up to it and go through.


3.3 Using the mouse
The TalkWorld Mouse

The majority of your time in TalkWorld you will be using the left mouse button to select options or, if the mouse is in the main window, to move yourself around. However, the right mouse button is also used in TalkWorld, usually to bring up small context sensitive menus. Depending on where the mouse pointer is positioned when you click the right button, the window that appears will have a variety of different choices on it. These are explained below.


Emote - Clicking on this will present you with a list of activities that your character can perform in TalkWorld. Some can be used on other people and some on yourself. Experiment with them to see which are which.

Teleport to - This will either teleport you to a person if you used the right mouse button on the 'who?' screen or a place if you used it on the 'teleport' window. 

Mail to - Clicking this will allow you to send a text or speech message to the person that you had the mouse cursor over when you pushed the right button. 

Whisper to - This will put you into 'whisper to' mode with the user that you clicked on which means that anything you say will only go to that person wherever they go in TalkWorld. To cancel this mode click on either the 'talk' or 'shout' buttons.

Add to whisper list - This is similar to the 'whisper to' option above but instead of your messages only going to one person, you can specify up to four people who will all receive your messages until you cancel this mode.

View description - This will allow to view the description of whichever user you selected.

Ignore - By selecting a user and then clicking this you are informing the server that you no longer want to hear any messages that user sends until you cancel he ignore command by selecting this option again.

Ping - Ping is a technical command that allows you to measure how quickly the user you selected is receiving updates form the TalkWorld server. The longer the ping takes the worse that persons connection is.

Clear - Use this command on the text window to delete all of the text that is there. New text will continue appearing as normal.

Save history - Use this command on the text window to save all of the text that you have sent or received in your current TalkWorld session to a text file. You will be asked to specify the name and location of the text file.

Font type - TalkWorld has a choice of three different fonts for text to appear in. Use this command on the text window to specify the font of your choice.

Font size - Used with the option above this allows you to specify the size of the text that you see as well as its style.

Add - This option is used with the one below to add your own teleport points to the ones that TalkWorld has built in. If you find something interesting you can use this button to add a teleport point there in order to make it easier to return to it. When you create a teleport point you will need to specify a name for it. See later for details on teleporting.

Delete - Use this option with the one above to remove teleport points that you have created. Note that you cannot remove TalkWorlds built in teleport points.

Sound on/off - This option will simply turn all of TalkWorlds sound effects on or off until clicked again.

Button record/Auto record - This can be found be clicking on the two small icons on the right of the TalkWorld screen. The option is for use with a microphone. It sets whether your microphone is activated to send speech when you click on the mic icon (button record) or by the microphones recording threshold (auto record.) See the sound options page for more details on these choices.

Expression (normal/happy/sad) - This is a shortcut that allows you to quickly choose your characters facial expression.


3.4 Talking to users
Interacting With other users

When you find another user move the mouse pointer over them and their name will pop up. Now you're ready to talk to them.

There are three modes of talking to other users by using text. If you want to talk to the people around you click on the 'talk to area' icon, this will send anything you type to the people in your immediate area. Another way of talking to other users is the 'shout to world' icon. This will broadcast whatever you type to everyone on TalkWorld! This can be useful if things are quiet when you logon but if TalkWorld is busy you may find that people become annoyed if you shout a lot. The final choice for talking using text is to whisper. Whispering is how you talk privately to another user. If you click on the 'whisper to' icon then click on the character you want to whisper to then only that person will receive anything you type until you cancel the whisper mode by clicking on either the 'talk to area' or 'shout to world' icons.

As well as communicating by text you can use a microphone to speak to other users, this is explained later.


4.1 Advanced options
TalkWorlds advanced commands and options

As well as the basic text chatting with other users TalkWorld also contains the following additional features. When you feel confident with the basic commands move onto these. Also included here are how to set up your copy of TalkWorld with your preferences.

The map. To help you navigate around TalkWorld there is a full screen map available. To access it click on the 'map' icon. The map will show yourself in one colour, the other users in another colour and the names of the different areas. If you move around using the keys you will see your arrow moving too, (you cannot use the mouse to move when in map mode.) This will help you head for the busier areas if you want to. To turn the map off click on its icon again.

Teleporting. Walking around TalkWorld is fun but it can take a while to cross the map using this method. For this reason we have included the ability to teleport from one place to another, you simply disappear and immediately reappear at your destination. You can use this to move instantly to the area of your choice or you can teleport straight to another user. There are a various ways to teleport yourself. Here are the main ones; click on the 'teleport' icon then click on the area of choice and click 'OK.' Or click on the 'who?' icons, select the person to teleport to and push the button marked 'teleport to.' 

Character Description. A feature of TalkWorld is the character description. To access this click on 'edit' and 'description.' Your description is basically a few lines of text that is usually used to tell people a little about yourself or subjects that you're interested in chatting about. 


4.2 Message functions
TalkWorlds message functions

Here are the guides to use TalkWorlds message functions.

TalkWorld e-mail. This facility allows registered users to send each other e-mails exactly as you would send an e-mail to anyone on the Internet. The TalkWorld server stores the e-mails until the user next logs on and checks for messages, so it can be a useful way of communicating if timing makes it difficult to meet. 

To send an e-mail click on the white envelope icon. There are various options down the right hand side but their use should be straight forward. The majority of the commands are the same as the ones used by the message boards. Just write the e-mail exactly as you would write any other. When you log on the server automatically checks if there are any messages waiting for you.


The forums. As well as chatting and sending e-mails to other users on-line you have a third option; the Message Boards. The message boards allow users to type or speak a message similar to an e-mail but instead of going to an individual the message is pasted on the board where everyone who wants to can read or listen to it. 

There is a message board in each of the major areas of TalkWorld and they are based on appropriate subjects for that area, e.g. religion for the Church. To access the message boards click on the red book icon above the main window. The subjects for the area you are in will load up in the window on the left, if you are not actually in an area with a message board you will be informed of this. The message boards tend to be in the large, named buildings on the map so head for one of those. 

A closed book icon on the message board shows that there are messages in that subject that you have not read or listened to. Click on the book to open it. When you have read a message the book icon will remain open until you quit TalkWorld. An question mark icon represents a speech message that someone has left, and it will change to an exclamation mark when you have listened to it. Instead of writing an original message users can also reply to a message that was written previously, Replies will appear under the original message as will replies to the reply, etc.

To post a message click on the subject you want to place it under and click the appropriate button, you will be given the choice of leaving a text or vocal message. Alternatively by clicking on a message that somebody else has left you can post a reply to that message. Your message will then be posted on the board along with your name. Your message will remain on the board for around two months.

Note that although the message boards are divided up into different themes and subjects these are just guides, anyone can put messages about anything they like on the boards. 


4.3 Program options
TalkWorld Program Options

TalkWorld includes various user configurable options that you can alter to suit to taste. To Access these click on the 'options' menu and then select 'program.' This screen should load up.

Console options allow you to change the colour of the text window. The example text will show you what your choices will look like. The scroll to new text option will cause TalkWorld to move the text area down to any new messages that come in if you have scrolled up to reread some text that you received earlier.

Speed options will alter how fast TalkWorld runs on your P.C. If you have a less powerful machine then you can these to keep TalkWorld smooth at the expense of it's appearance. If you turn the draw distance down you will not be able to see as far into the distance but because of this TalkWorld will run much faster. Turning off semi-transparency will stop you being able to see through windows and again will speed TalkWorld up.

Speech data is simply to choose whether speech (not text) that you send or receive is sent directly between your P.C. and the person you are sending to / receiving froms P.C. or sent to / from that person via the TalkWorld server. Normally you should leave these switched off but if you are having difficulty talking or listening to a particular user try switching them on.

These options will take affect immediately and will be saved when you log off.


4.4 Sound options
Sound in TalkWorld

To physically speak to the other players you will need to have a microphone and speakers plugged into your sound card.

At a basic level speaking to another user is easy, when in push-to-talk mode simply click and hold down the button on the microphone icon in the top right of the TalkWorld window and speak. Whilst you are holding down the microphone icon TalkWorld will record from your microphone and when you release the microphone icon it will send whatever it recorded to the other users. The number of users who will hear your speech is set in the same way as text, by using the 'shout to world', 'Talk to area' or 'Whisper to' icons. 

If you have problems with the speech or sound effects then you may need to alter TalkWorlds sound options. To access these click on the 'options' menu and choose 'sound options'. You should see the window below. From here you can edit how your copy of TalkWorld will use your microphone and also set up your volume levels. 

Note that in the 'sound options' screen anything you say out loud will be played back only to you and not to other users so you can check whether your sound setup is working properly by speaking on this screen. 

Probably the most important option on this screen is the 'Automatic recording' check box. If you put a tick mark in here then once you exit the sound options screen you will not have to click on the microphone icon if you want to talk, instead TalkWorld will automatically detect when you are speaking and start and stop recording as it needs to. If you decide to use this option then the recording threshold is used to set the point at which your microphone activates. If you are in a noisy environment or are using an extremely sensitive microphone then you will need to turn the recording threshold up in order to stop the microphone broadcasting background noise to the other users. You can also alter the sensitivity bar if your microphone is picking up sounds like your breathing.

The 'Sound effects' and 'Speech volume' bars are simply for you to alter volume levels to suit your taste and the 'Enable sound' check box will stop all sound from TalkWorld if you remove the check from it.

The 'Speech playback' bar is for you to set how many seconds of incoming speech your computer will store in it's memory 'buffer' before it passes it onto your sound card. For the smoothest speech you should keep this set as low as possible, this will let you speak to someone at the same speed as holding a conversation on a telephone. On slower computers or if there is a lot of Internet traffic then you may need to turn this setting up. This will cause TalkWorld to store up a few seconds of incoming speech before releasing it to your sound card. This may cause a slight delay in the speed of the speech arriving but it will sound clear and unbroken when it does. You will only really need to alter this setting if the speech sounds muffled or 'choppy', try adjusting the slider upwards until you hit an acceptable level.

The 'Full duplex sound card' box is there to show whether your sound card is 100% full duplex. Many cards claim to be full duplex but are not. Note that this is not an option and you cannot change it, TalkWorld will automatically detect it when it starts up.

Now you can talk to the users exactly as you would type a message to them, simply select who you wish to speak to and talk into your microphone. If they are unregistered or do not have a microphone of their own then they will be able to hear you speaking but will not be able to reply by speech, they will have to use the keyboard as normal to reply. You should NOT be able to hear your own speech played back to you as you talk. If it is being played back see the update below.

Update - It has come to our attention that some users have found setting up the microphone for speaking in TalkWorld to be difficult. Once it has been done TalkWorld remembers your setup but getting it working the first time can be tricky. The problem is that everyone has different Windows 95/98 etc. sound settings and these affect TalkWorld. If you have tried using a microphone in TalkWorld but cannot get it to broadcast sound then please follow these steps through.

1.Move your mouse down to the bottom right of your Windows task bar and right click on the small, yellow speaker icon.
2.Click on 'Open Volume Controls.' 
3.Click on 'Options' and make sure 'advanced controls' has a tick next to it. 
4.Now click on 'Properties.' 
5.In the window below where it says 'Show the following volume controls' scroll down and make sure that there is a check in the 'Microphone' box. Now click 'OK'. 
6.Now the microphone options should within the volume control. Make sure there is a check in the microphone 'Mute' box. 
7.Next click on 'Options' and 'Properties' again. 
8.Where it says 'Adjust volume for' click on 'Recording'. Make sure there is a tick in the 'Microphone' box and click 'OK'.
9.The Microphone 'Select' checkbox should have a tick in it. Check this. 
10.Now click on 'Options' and click 'Exit'. This procedure should clear up any problems with TalkWorlds speech, if you are still having difficulties contact us directly by e-mail at info@talkworld-online.com. 


5.1 TalkWorld F.A.Q.
TalkWorld F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions)

Here are the answers to the questions we are commonly asked regarding TalkWorld.

Q. "When I am using TalkWorld I can hear other users talking to me but I can't say anything back." 
A. To be able to speak out loud in TalkWorld you must be a registered user. Unregistered 'Guests' can hear other people speaking but can only reply by typing messages. For more information on registering click here. If you are registered but still cannot speak check your microphone is plugged in and working properly using another program, e.g. Text Assist or Windows Sound Recorder. Then try clicking, and holding the mouse button down on the microphone icon. At the bottom of the TalkWorld screen it should say "Sending speech to area." Now say something and then let go of the icon to hear it repeated. Also see the sound options section 4.4 for more information.

Q. "The speech in TalkWorld is mangled or messy." 
A. TalkWorld supports both full and half duplex sound cards, however half duplex cards may have problems sending and receiving speech simultaneously. Some cards claim to be full duplex but do not support all the features of being so, this can cause TalkWorld some problems. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do about this problem at the moment. You may be able to fix certain problems by ensuring you have the latest drivers for you soundcard. Also see the sound options section 4.4 for more information.

Q. "When I have TalkWorld running the rest of the programs on my machines work extremely slowly or stop working altogether."
A. TalkWorld is designed to multi-task with other programs but only when it is minimised. If TalkWorld is still on screen it continues to receive data from the server which can severely hamper the performance of your other programs. When you minimise TalkWorld it stops receiving server data and shouldn't effect your computers performance at all.

Q. "TalkWorld keeps crashing suddenly whilst I am using it."
A. TalkWorld will crash if your computer is running low on virtual memory. This will happen if you had a lot of applications running before starting TalkWorld and you are low on hard disk space. If this is a problem try restarting your machine to clear out it's memory before attempting to run TalkWorld, or make sure you have 10mb free space left on your hard drive. You can find out if you do have enough space by double clicking on 'My Computer' then single click on your 'C:\ drive' icon and the amount of free space will be displayed at the bottom of the window.

Remember that we offer further help individually by e-mail. If you have a problem with TalkWorld e-mail us at info@talkworld-online.com. When e-mailing us tell us the exact problem, when it occurs and as much detail about your computer as possible (e.g. the make of your sound and graphics cards, the amount of RAM you have and the speed of your processor. You can find all of this out within Windows 95/98 by double clicking on 'My Computer' then double click on 'Control panel' and finally double click on the 'System' icon.) This will allow us to respond accurately.

Don't forget to register!
