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To avoid these problems, please read this entire section carefully.
The behaviors currently listed in this section are all related to the Challenge Maze Software pushing the limits of how quickly the host computer can perform or how the Challenge Maze Software itself draws images to the screen. Although sometimes the problems may be because the Challenge Maze Software is pushing the limits of how fast the computer can run, often it is just part of the way the Challenge Maze Software is currently designed so that making mazes is as easy as possible. There are very effective ways to use the Challenge Maze Software that can avoid these problems. These behaviors were discovered during testing. Solutions that did not greatly restrict the design and release of the Challenge Maze Software have not yet been implemented. If the software turns out to be popular enough, this problem will addressed in future versions. To find out the recommended specifications for how fast a computer should be to run the Challenge Maze Software, please visit the Specification Requirements Section.
Waiting for the Challenge Maze Software to finish whatever it is doing (showing a new room, showing a 'Challenger' animation, changing text on the 'ChalkBoard', showing a 'CutScene', etc...) before clicking on the Challenge Maze Software or switching back and forth from other software windows is the primary way to avoid these types of problems. Also, raising and lowering volume or screen brightness may cause the same problems as switching between windows if icons or (volume/brightness) meters show up on the computer screen when the volume or brightness are raised and lowered.
It may also help to run the software in a maximized window (press F11) and to close all other unnecessary programs running on the host computer. Also, When the Challenge Maze Software is running, there is a something 'called' a process running on the Windows computer so that more of the computer's resources will be available to the Challenge Maze Software. If the computer is near or below the Specification Requirements, it may help to change the priority of the process so that the Challenge Maze Software performs better. An internet search for 'setting process high priority windows 7' or 'setting process high priority windows 8' may help set the priority. The process name will be 'Challenge Maze.exe'.
If at all possible, when building a maze, it is helpful to keep 'CutScenes' to just a few seconds long. However, even 'CutScenes' will play without a problem if the computer is fast enough and the player does not try to switch windows or interact with the screen by clicking on it while a 'CutScene' is playing.
Sometimes the Challenge Maze Software will appear to have a completely blank white screen. This generally happens when switching between different software windows running on the computer. When switching back to the Challenge Maze Software, the 'Game Screen' may appear white. This has to do with the way the Challenge Maze Software draws images to the computer screen and usually happens when the Challenge Maze Software is in the middle of showing a Challenge or CutScene. Waiting just a few moments until the Challenge or the CutScene finishes will normally allow the Challenge Maze Software enough time to draw all images on the screen again.
This strange behavior is much like the 'Blank White Game Screen'. This behavior also happens when switching between software, but has been known to happen without switching between software. Waiting a few moments for the Challenge Maze Software to finish doing whatever action it is doing, will usually solve the problem.
Sometimes there may be a window that pops up saying that the Challenge Maze Software is 'Not Responding'. This is usually accompanied by a 'Blank White Game Screen'. Choosing to allow the Challenge Maze Software to keep running and waiting a few moments will usually solve this problem.
All Challenge Maze Games have some things in common. The pages in this 'Playing Mazes' section of the website will explain about those things. Since many people can make mazes there will also be many things that are different about each Challenge Maze Game. Each maze can have different room appearances, different challengers, different sounds, different maze shapes, different endings, and so on. To find out about the things that are unique to a maze, it is better to talk to the person who made the maze.
If you will be viewing the sections of the 'Quick Start Maze Tutorial', please keep in mind that the tutorial was designed to be completed in order. Each part builds on the part before it. The tutorial starts here.
Please keep in mind that both the Challenge Maze Software and this website are still in the 'BETA' stage. This means that they are both in a preliminary phase of public use. They have not been yet fully tested, but are available for use at the discretion of the user. Mistakes in both the Challenge Maze Software and the website may still exist and the 'BETA' testing phase can help to find those mistakes.
You can search the text of this page (press CTRL+F) or scroll down and read to find different topics that have each had pages and sections devoted just to them.
Most of the questions about how to complete a maze are answered in the Quick Start Maze Tutorial.
Most of the questions about white screen areas and 'Challenge Maze is Not Responding' message prompts are answered in the White Areas or White Screen (Not Responding) Section.
If you are not able to find the help you're looking for, you can also try to contact me. However, I am only one person and the number of inquiries I can respond to is limited. If the inquiries become too numerous I may not get to respond to yours. On the bright side, if I am able to get to your inquiry, you will be speaking with the Challenge Maze Software expert.
If you have you have found information that is inconsistent with how the Challenge Maze Software performs, or any information on this website that is incorrect, it is likely a mistake that I have made. This website and the Challenge Maze Software project were done on my own time without a software testing team or proofreaders. If there are any mistakes, I am sorry. If you find any mistakes and would like to let me know about them, please contact me so that I may see if I can fix the problem.
Thank you,
