Scorched Earth FAQ, Version 1.5

Last updated: August 4, 2012

Current Contact Information

Scorch HQ can be reached via email at whicken@gmail.com.

Due to the amount of mail I have received, I am unable to respond to every item personally. Therefore, I have prepared a list of answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs). Thank you for writing, and please send more letters if you have other questions, or ideas you'd like to see in future versions of Scorch.

Index of Questions


Scorched Earth only runs under DOS. How can I play under Linux/Mac/etc?

Try the DOSBox emulator, which runs on lots of platforms, and may help you scratch that Scorch itch.


What is the current version of Scorched Earth? What platforms are supported?

The current version of Scorched Earth is 1.5. Scorch requires an IBM-compatible PC running MS-DOS, and equipped with a VGA monitor. At the end of the FAQ is a list of many of the features which have been added between versions.


When is the next version of Scorched Earth coming?

To avoid foot-in-mouth disease, new versions will only be announced when they are ready to ship.


How can I register Scorched Earth, and why would I want to?

Scorched Earth 1.5 is distributed under the "pay before you play" or "what you play is what you get" (WYPIWYG) principle. This means that the shareware version contains most of the features of the registered version.

Registered users get a downloadable zip with the registered version of Scorch - this enables the triple-turreted tanks for users, and adds 25 new scanned mountains.

You should register Scorch if you feel that the game is worth $20 (which it probably is if you play it more than 20 hours/day). In addition, registration supports my efforts in developing shareware, so if you would like to see new versions of Scorch, and other games, registering is the best way to make sure that happens!


Does Scorch have modem support? What about the telephone icon in version 1.1?

Modem support is not yet available.


What languages/tools were used to create Scorch? Can I get the source code?

Scorch was written using Borland C++ and Turbo Assembler. The deluxe version of the manual was prepared using Microsoft Word for Windows and Microsoft Paint, and the ASCII version was automatically generated using a custom RTF-to-Scorch-Manual filter.

The source code is not available.


Scorch will not start - it just hangs?

The most common problem is that you have selected 640x480 graphics mode, and this mode is not compatible with your computer. To test this type "scorch 320x200" from the DOS command line when you start scorch. This will force Scorch to use a low resolution graphics mode which is compatible with all VGAs. If you are using a Tandy, you will need to set the "Bios keyboard" option. You can do this by editing the file "scorch.cfg" and changing the line "BIOS_KEYBOARD=off" to read "BIOS_KEYBOARD=on". Finally, If you have version 1.23 or lower, get version 1.5. This will fix many problems.


Revision History

Version 1.5

This version is designed to solidify the features integrated so far, and is consists mostly of bug fixes and small improvements.

Version 1.2

Version 1.1

Version 1.0

[-] Aim here to go back.
whicken@gmail.com