What is the VP4 game?

The game is where you play VP4 Online. It has a lobby where you can chat with other players, and game rooms where you play VP4. The VP4 client is a desktop program that connects online to the game server and the VP4 website.

 

Where do I get the VP4 game?

When you registered, you should have had a download for it. If you did not get it then, login to the VP4 website, and click DOWNLOADS on the nav bar. There is a download button for VP4 Online and if you purchased the full VP4 (offline too), there is a button to view your serial number and download the full version or any updates.

 

I am having installation issues, C++ redistributable errors or missing dlls. What should I do?

Install all Windows updates and then try to install VP4 again.

 

So do I log into the VP4 game or the VP4 website?

The login for the VP4 game and the VP4 website are the same email and password. When you log into the VP4 game it automatically logs you into the VP4 website.

 

So when I play do I need a web browser at the VP4 website and the VP4 game both running on my desktop?

You may do that. But the VP4 game includes an internal web browser as part of it. So you can play VP4 and switch back and forth to the VP4 website with a hot key press (ctrl-z). This allows you to play full screen in VP4 and still easily access the website. It also has some cool integration features so the internal browser is the preferred method.  In Settings/Misc/Browser you can specify internal or external browser.

 

I have logged in, can you explain what I see in the Lobby?

The lobby has chat, player list, and room list. Chat has an output window and a message entry right below it. You can communicate with other in the lobby by typing a message and hitting Enter.

The player list shows all players logged in. If you left mouse click a player, you can find out more information about them.

The room list shows all rooms where players are playing VP4 Online. Note that there are tabs for different types of rooms.

 

I see 5 room tabs, what are they?

The tabs each contain a different list of rooms by play type. The tab name denotes the play type:

• Match Rooms are where the players in the room can play any game setup they choose (game, match length, players, table, etc. for each match played. When a match is over the winner can select new players and setup.

• Challenge Rooms are a king of the hill type format, where the match is a single game and the winner stays on the table, playing the next challenger in the queue.

• Tournament Rooms are where matches for tournament are played. You must sign up on the website to play in tournaments.

• Ladder Rooms are where matches for ladders challenges are played. You can join a ladder on the website.

• League Rooms are where matches for leagues are played. You can join a league on the website.

 

So how do I play a game?

To play you need to either enter a room or create your own room. To enter a room, left click the room you wish to enter and press the Enter Room button, or double click a room in the list.

To create your own room press Create Room, then press OK to get the default Match room or change the Room Type to get a challenge room.

 

Why when I try to enter a room does it say I can only enter as a spectator?

Because you are player gratis which means you are playing for free. You can only enter Challenge rooms played in the Garage as player gratis.

 

There are a lot of room setup options, what should I choose?

VP4 shows you an info panel with help information all the time. At the lower right you will see a rectangular area labeled Information. If you are in a Match room you will see some tabs, select the Info tab to see the help.

When you click an option setting, descriptive information about what the option is appears in the Info box. Many option descriptions will change based on the option control setting. You really don't need to change much to get going, just set the game you want to play, double-click your name in the Players In Room list to put yourself into the game, and press OK.

 

I have never played Virtual Pool before, how do I aim and shoot?

There is prompting in yellow letters near the bottom of the 3D graphics area. This is on by default, you can turn it off later when you are a pro. The prompting should tell you what to do for basic game operation. Note there is a Mode and Mouse display below the prompt to give you more information about what happens when you move the mouse.

You can get an overlay of a Quick Reference by pressing F1, it will appear on the right side of the screen. This tells you what different keys do.

Note that if you have the cursor up (little cue stick), you need to press Alt to return to game control.

 

How do I chat when in a room?

Press the / key to show the chat input line, then it works just like in the lobby after that.

 

If the game is played with call shot, do I have to call every shot?

You don't have to call every shot, that would get tedious. Miscall is by honor system for most games. If you make a shot you did not intend , then you should press Ctrl-M to miscall the shot. If you are shooting a shot that is not obvious, you should use Ctrl-C to bring up the call shot dialog and call the ball and pocket. Shots like combos, banks, caroms, billiards, balls out of a cluster are typically called using the call shot dialog.