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Installation -
Registration -
Updates -
Support -
Taktik -
Kickoo's Breakout -
Kickoo's Patience
Installation:
Where can I download your games?
All of our products pages have download areas. For Kickoo's Breakout it is here, for TakTik, it's here and for Kickoo's Patience, it's here..
I have downloaded the .ZIP file of your TakTik game. There are several .PRC files in it, do I have to install them all?
No.
There are several .PRC files, depending on the capabilities of your device.
You can find which file to install by reading the documentation at the requirements section.
We are trying to give meaningful names to the PRC files:
- the file TAKTIK-65K-HIGHRES.PRC is for the high resolution version in 16 bpp mode (65K colors).
- the file TAKTIK-65K.PRC is for the version in 16 bpp mode (65K colors).
- the file TAKTIK-256.PRC is for the 256 colors version.
- the file TAKTIK-GRAY.PRC is for the 16 levels grayscale version.
Kickoo's Breakout and Kickoo's Patience only have one .PRC file.
To install a PRC file onto a Palm OS handheld, just double click on the file name, put the handheld on its craddle, and press the HotSync button.
If you need more installation tips, please go to the Palm OS support page, Sony Clié support page or have a look at the great PalmGear Knowledge Base.
Registration:
I have tried the demo version and it is not very much limited. Why should I register?
As users, we don't like when a program reminds you every two minutes that this is a trial version and that you have to register, or when there are so many limitations that you are unable to really try it.
So we decided to make the trial version (the unregistered one) almost complete, without too many reminders.
And last but not least, the price of the registered version is very low for a game of this quality.
This way, we hope that you will be able to try the game under reasonable conditions and see whether you like it.
But don't forget that making games is our only source of revenue and that we need to earn some money if you want us to continue making high quality games.
So please consider registering the game if you like it!
I have registered your last game. When you will release an update with more features, will I have to pay again?
No!
Our policy is that you pay for a game once and get free updates for all future releases of the same game.
On the registration page, you ask for an Order ID...What is that?
The Order ID (or Order Number when purchase was made on eSellerate) is a code given by the store where you made the purchase (for PalmGear, it is usually something like SW??????? with numbers instead of '?', while for eSellerate it is ST??????) that you have received with the email confirming your purchase.
If you don't have keeped (or you have lost) the email containing all the registration information and can't remember your Order ID, don't worry, we can find it using your email address!
On the registration page, you ask for an email address. I have several. Which one should I use?
You must use the same one you used for the purchase and at which you have received your order confirmation.
On the registration page, you ask for a Device ID...What is that?
The Device ID is a code that identifies your device.
You must give us this code in order to get a corresponding Serial Number that will unlock the game.
In order to avoid confusion between some numbers and letters, our Device IDs and Serial Numbers contain only numbers.
You can see the Device ID in the game by taping the Register icon on the main page of the game or by selecting Register from the Help menu.
This Device ID seems to be specific to my handheld...If for some reason I change my handheld will I have to purchase the game again?
No.
Our registraton page allow you to get a new serial number, automatically, without having to ask us anything and of course without having to pay again!
If I decide to buy the game, may I get a refund later?
No.
You can test the game before buying it, so any purchase is final.
Updates:
(added December 5, 2002)
I have installed the version 1.1 of Kickoo's Breakout (or version 1.2 of TakTik) over a previous registered one and I loose all my registration information...what happened?
We have opened a new online store which will add some benefits to customers, like the fact they immediately get their Serial Number and do not have to wait several hours/days until the confimation of the purchase is received.
Unfortunately, to be able to use this online store, we had to make some changes to our registration system, as it requires us to have a DeviceID which is unique to each device whatever the game is and not depending also on the game like it was the case before.
This is the reason why you need to get a new serial number if you installed such versions over a previous one.
Of course, all is free and automatic: just log on our registration page and you will immediately get your new Serial Number.
When you have received the email notifying you about the new release, you have also received all the registration information you need to use on this page.
How can I be informed of future releases of a game?
Your first solution can be to visit the what's new page on this site from time to time.
You can also receive email notification of updates by completing the registration form, making sure not to leave the notification field empty.
Don't worry, we will not resell your email to anyone; nor will you receive any unwanted email from us.
I have downloaded the latest version of a game already installed.
Do I have to delete the old version before installing the new one and loose the registration information and all the other settings?
No!
Although it's too soon to be 100% sure, as there are no update yet, we'll do our best to make the internal data compatible from version to version (some special stuff allowing that is already included in the current version).
Just install the new version over the old one, and all should be fine!
Support:
(added 22th January 2002)
Your game looks great on my Clie, but it's very, very slow...
It seems that some DAs (Desk Accessories) set the screen depth to 8 bpp mode (256 colors), even when an application (like our games) asks to be in 16 bpp
mode...
In that case, the OS is dynamically converting the colors from 16 bpp to 8 bpp, which is very, very slow!
So, be sure not to activate any hack or application that changes the resolution and/or screen depth and of course, be sure your device is able to display 16 bpp graphics (upgraded Clie devices).
(thanks to Edward Green for this tip)
I have a problem with your last game. What can I do?
If you need some help, please have a look at the FAQ (the one you are reading! :) before contacting our customer support, as it contain the most common problems you may have.
We will continuously update it to include the questions most of you are asking..
If you don't find what you are looking for in the FAQ, just go to the forums.
Chances are that your problem has already been described by others (feel free to enter a new topic in the support section if your problem is not listed).
By continuously updating the FAQ page and participating very actively to the forums, we really think that we offer a better support service than what could be possible using traditional email support system.
After a while, most of the questions/problems you may have should be solved by just reading the FAQ/forums.
I'm still having a problem, now what can I do?
If you have tried all of the above and still need some help, email to our support service at support@kickoo.com
TakTik:
(added 22th January 2002)
This game looks really nice on my Sony Clie, but it uses too much memory!
Well, everything is relative...
You can't compare the size of an application such as a word processor or a database to that of a game.
Games does not use plain text forms, but graphics, which take a lot of memory and even more in high resolution 16 bpp mode.
Just do the math, a full screen uses 320x320x2 = 204800 bytes!
If you want a game that has nice, detailed graphics, in high resolution 16 bpp mode, there is a price to pay for that (memory) and we don't think that 600 Kb is too much for such a result...
Anyway, if you really think that it's too much, you need to know that TakTik runs perfectly from a memory stick!
And if you don't have external storage and still do not have enough memory on your device for the high resolution 16 bpp version, you can just install the 'normal' 65K colors version (which uses about 403 Kb of memory) or even the 256 colors one (which uses about 267 Kb of memory).
They will work fine and you will not loose your current settings!
What the hell is that guy with a mask? He killed my king!!
Please read the documentation (which is included inside the game).
He's called the thief and he's very powerful when attacking...
TakTik is a very fun and interesting game, but as it's a reflective one You need to understand the rules to fully enjoy it, so please, read the documentation or at least complete the tutorial (available from the main menu of the game).
It will explain all you need to know about the rules of this great game to you in an easy and interactive way!
(added April 5, 2002)
Kickoo's Breakout:
(Modified December 6, 2002)
I have registered Ababall. Do I have to pay again to register Kickoo's Breakout?
Unfortunately, yes...
We are really sorry about that, but there is nothing we can do. We don't have access to the database of registered customers of Ababall so it's impossible for us to know who is registered and who is not!
That's the reason why we are treating everybody is a registered user and, for a limited period of time, everyone can register Kickoo's Breakout at the very low price of $6.25!!!!
We really hope that this introductory offer will satisfy all the current registered customers of Ababall (and of course the non-registered users too :)
******* This introductory offer was valid first weeks of April 2002, but now it is over ********
Please also note that we have added 4 more levels, and playing those 36 levels in high resolution will be a new and great experience, that is worth the low purchase price.
Also, you can consider Kickoo's Breakout and Ababall as different products, like Ababall color and grayscale versions which are sold separately.
This game looks really nice on my Sony Clie, but it uses too much memory!
No, please, how can you tell that?
In addition to the comments made in the same section relative to the game TakTik, let me add that we have made a lot of work to keep this game under 600 Kb!
Given the number of animations there are in the game and the resolution used, the size could easily be twice as big or even more...
To gives you an idea of the efforts made, just compare the sizes of Ababall and Kickoo's Breakout: they are almost the same (near 600 Kb), while the resoluton of Kickoo's Breakout is 8 times bigger (320x320 16 bpp vs 160x160 8 bpp) and the graphics data of Ababall was already compressed!
(added April 6, 2002)
Why do you only support the stylus to move the paddle?
We have made some tests, with the hardware buttons and with the jogdial too and our conclusion is that the stylus is the best and only choice.
On most levels (like the second one of the demo), you need to be very precise with your aiming to send the ball in the right direction.
There is a lot of possible trajectories, depending on where the ball hit the paddle, and you can only achieve this level of precision by using the stylus, specially when the ball move fast.
The game has been designed with stylus in mind, so to enjoy it fully, you must use the stylus.
You have to use the stylus to move the paddle, but if you don't feel comfortable to fire or release a magnetized ball using it (just release the stylus from the graffiti area and put it down again), you can use any of the hardware buttons or even press the jogdial one...
Just some words, about the use of the stylus: it must be dragged (gently) on the graffiti area, not directly on the screen: the graffiti area has been made for this purpose.
And if you worry about scratching it, then just consider buying some protection (which is a good idea, not only to play this game).
(updated July 10, 2003)
The speed of the ball significantly slows down whenever I tap on the graffiti area, and sometimes, I even get a fatal alert!
First of all, be sure you are using at least version 1.1 of Kickoo's Breakout: previous version did not have a custom skin and the system virtual graffiti handler of Sony Clie devices was taking too much CPU time when you tap/drag on the virtual graffiti area (this is mainly the reason why we added a custom skin, it's not there just to look pretty :).
If you have installed the latest version of Kickoo's Breakout and still have a slowdown problem, be sure to disable any hack / DA before starting the game.
As the slowdown occur only when you tap/drag on the screen, it have something to do with a program you have installed which is pen / screen / graffiti oriented, and hacks / DAs are unfortunately not the only programs that may conflict with Kickoo's Breakout...
Until an official way is found to disable hacks (or kind of hacks, as Palm OS 5 does not support them) programmatically, there will be no other solution than disabling or removing them manually.
Here is a list of applications that are known to conflict with Kickoo's Breakout: if you are experiencing slowdown problems when tapping / dragging with the stylus and have one of these programs installed, please remove/disable it before playing the game:
- Crossing Over (may cause a fatal alert)
- McPhiling (may cause a fatal alert)
- Shadowlink
- TealEcho
- TealLaunch
- TapPad Hack
- MiddleCap Hack
- Stowaway keyboard driver
- Energy Dimmer V. 2.0
- CaseToggle
- SwedishChars
- FlexButton
- Belkin Foldable Keyboard Driver (disabing it is not enough, you need to remove it...)
- Jot (may freeze the handheld when stylus is down on the graffiti area!)
While we will try to keep this list as accurate as possible, it will certainly be incorrect: some already listed applications will be upgraded, solving the previous problem, while new apps that we do not know yet may appear and generate the same troubles...
If you still can't find what is the cause of the conflict, then what you can do is a hard reset (after of course beeing sure everything is backuped): then, install only Kickoo's Breakout (and you will see how fine it work without any slowdown on your device), then one after the other, re-install all the applications you had (running Kickoo's Breakout after each install) until you find the one which is in conflict.
If this app is not listed here, please be kind and send us an email, so we'll be able to add it to the list, which may save time to someone else.
Sometimes, when I hit some bricks or catch some options, no points are given. Why?
On some levels, there is a special recompose brick? When a ball touches this brick, all the bricks around the one that was destroyed are regenerated.
So, to prevent cheaters from obtaining big scores by hiting regenerated bricks again and again, points are only given the first time the brick was hit. The same is true for the option a regenerated brick may release.
(added July 28, 2003)
Since version 1.1a of Kickoo's Breakout, I can't exit the game, none of the silk icons seems to work...is it a new bug?
This is not a bug, but a wanted feature by some customers...
Since version 1.1a of Kickoo' Breakout, to avoid exiting the game, displaying the menu, bring up the search dialog box or anything else inadvertently by taping on a silk icon while playing, all silk icons are disabled while a game is in progress.
If you want to exit the game, you need to pause it first (by just pressing up or down button) and then the silk icons will work!
Of course, when you leave the game while it was unfinished, you will retrieve it like it was the next time you launch the program.
(added July 27, 2003)
Kickoo's Patience:
I don't find the registration FORM of this game, where it is?
To display the registration FORM of the game, you need to select the choice Help->Register in the menu of the game.
To display the menu of the game, just tap on the menu silk icon of the graffiti input area (or when the screen is in hires+, on the menu icon displayed in the status bar, the second one starting from the left), or in the case your handheld does not have a graffiti input area but a keyboard, just press the menu button.
As we do realise that people that have just bought a Palm OS handheld may not know what mean such technical terms like 'silk icon', 'graffiti input area' nor how to find/use the 'menu button' on their keyboard, we decided to also show it visually with the following pictures:
(all screenshots also show the Help menu open, where there is the Register choice)
Location of the menu silk icon for handhelds having a graffiti input area:
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Location of the menu button on a Clié TG50:
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Location of the menu button on a Palm Tungsten C:
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Registration FORM of the game:
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Please note that depending on the handheld, bringing the menu of an application by pushing the menu button is accomplished in a different way: sometimes you need to keep the button pushed for a long time, sometimes you need to press an other button (the blue one?) before or at the same time -> please read the documentation of your handheld.
I have played several games and my stats was not updated, why?
This is because you have modified in the OPTIONS the default behaviour of this game, making it more easy to win.
For exemple, with Klondike the default behavior is to deal 3 cards; if you change the settings to deal only one card at a time, then the game is a lot more easy and stats are not recorded (look carefully the message in the OPTIONS screen, there is a warning about that.
Same thing happen with La Belle Lucie if you allow the draw card to be used before the last redeal.
If you turn back the option to the normal setting (not making the game easier), stats will come back for the next started games, not the one in progress of course (else it would be too easy to cheat...).
I won several games and the High Score Code is still 0, why?
You need to play at least 10 games to have the Internet High Score Code displayed.
Of course, you also need to win at least one game: a score of 0 is not a high score! ;-)
Out of topic:
Your english is terribly bad, there is a mistake on almost each sentences, was you sleeping during your english lessons?
Well, humm...don't tell it to everybody, but yes...
You need to know (but you guessed it) that we are not native english speakers.
In fact we are french guys, so please, sorry in advance for all the english mistakes we have made :)
If you want to give us some suggestions, for the texts of the web site or even for the ones of the game, you're welcome!
Installation -
Registration -
Updates -
Support -
Taktik -
Kickoo's Breakout -
Kickoo's Patience
(last update: July 28, 2003)
(thanks to Scott R. Almas from the Capital District Palm User Group for the translation of this page)
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