Need help with running betas? Here common problems will be explained. (If you were looking for the official .HLP files for betas, check Documents section or download some beta version)
1. When I start some beta executable, error message appears: "Type library (...)\Unreal.tlb couldn't be registered. Please reinstall Unreal."
Run the exe as administrator (this option is in right-click menu).
2. When I try to run installer for some beta, I get error that "This application won't work on this computer".
This is because beta installers have 16-bit executables. They will never work on 64-bit Windowses. You must run the installer on some 32-bit computer (or virtual machine) then copy the game folder back to your computer.
3. How to run Unreal betas in full screen?
There are two possibilities: software rendering and hardware acceleration. To have software rendering full screen, select "Window" -> "DirectDraw ____" (choose your favorite resolution). To return to windowed mode, press F12 (Esc in older versions). Remember that on high resolutions translucent surface rendering will be slow. And on modern systems (for example Windows 8) there may be problems with fullscreen DirectDraw - in this case a tweaker like DXWnd may help.
The second way requires additional software, a glide wrapper. I recommend nGlide because others are too slow. After you downloaded and installed nGlide, in Unreal select "Properties" -> "Hardware 3D". Exit with F12 (Esc in older versions). (If you want to do this in portable way, download this little package and unzip into Unreal System folder) Remember to decrease gamma (in nGlide properties), otherwise you will have very pale colors.
These methods may also work in other versions.
4. How to load/save game in U98beta?
To save game, select "File" -> "Save game" and select a file name.
To load game, select "File" -> "Open saved game" and select file. Or press ` (the key under Esc), write "open <name of saved game>" and press Enter.
5. How to load levels in various beta versions?
Find the console window. In Unreal 98 beta it's under "Properties" -> "Show log".
Write "MAP LOAD FILE=<path to map file in quotes>" and press Enter.
Warning: 1995 alpha will crash in strange way if path is longer than 64 chars.
6. How to play UMX files in U98beta?
Either use UnrealEd to load them and play, or use method described here.
7. Why UnrealEd always crashes with Permission denied or other errors?
I don't know. Maybe you need some specific version of some DLL file. The editor usually works on Windows XP, so try installing one in a virtual machine. Or try my replacement editor.
8. How to make COM/TLB interface work in 1995 alpha?
If you are writing own editor or re-using existing which uses the UNREAL.TLB interface, normally U95 Alpha will not work. This is because it for unknown reason sets working directory to "C:\Windows\System32" and looks here for its files. So you must copy GRAPHICS.UNR and BACKDROP.PCX to your System32 folder, then it will work. If this doesn't work and you have a 64-bit OS, copy them to SysWOW64 instead.
9. Are there any meshes hidden in Unreal 1995 Tech Demo?
No. There are no meshes nor textures for meshes. And there are no scripts. But there are meshes with textures in the older 95 version.
10. Does Tech Demo 1995 have lightmaps?
There are shadows on this screenshot, but I think it's from earlier version.
I think I tested all possible commands with all possible parameters, but no. It's not possible to make static lightmaps with shadows. But when calculating lights, a raycast test is performed between light sources and surfaces, to calculate whether the reflection is visible. When some CSG obscures light source, no reflection will be seen. But this test is only performed per surface. Not per pixel or per texel. So in theory you could simulate lightmaps by dividing surfaces to very small parts but in practice Unreal will quickly crash or corrupt geometry or lighting.
Older and newer versions have "normal" lightmaps, but the december version has that specular light effect instead.
11. How do I play correctly movies with strange formats like .rm?
Use VLC player or ffplay. (ffplay supports more formats but has very primitive interface)
12. Are beta resources compatible with final Unreal?
Directly no. But sounds, textures and meshes can be exported to wav, pcx, 3d files and imported again. Maps can be saved in T3D format and imported. But 1995 versions use different incompatible T3D format. Anyway, there are already made conversions.