Getting Started With Aleph One
By: Adam Steir

The installation of Aleph One requires the downloading of the application and data files. All the files needed can be found at sourceforge.org. Here is the listing for all versions of Aleph One. You are only interested in Aleph One for Windows.

Aleph One (just the Marathon Engine)

This is the Marathon game engine for Windows (referred to as SDL):

File release notes and change log
Download Aleph One for Windows

Download the file. Extract the file (it will open with WinZip and extract to a directory called Aleph One)

Aleph One data files - Marathon 2 demo files / Marathon Infinity demo files

data files used by Aleph One:

Marathon 2: Durandal Demo Files
or
Marathon Infinity Demo Files

Download one of the above files. Extract it into the Aleph One directory

Aleph One data files   - Marathon 2 Durandal for the PC

These are the original files released with the PC version.

Note: the CD auto starts.  You can browse the CD by right clicking on the CD icon from "My Computer" and selecting "Open".

Copy the following files into the Aleph One directory:

Sounds
Map
Shapes
Images
Music

Make sure to rename the files to remove the extensions (ex: "Shapes.shp2" to "Shapes")

Note: An Images file is necessary for Aleph One to run, but the Images file that comes with the Marathon2 for the PC will not allow you to gather for a network game. So I recommend using one of the other data files then overwrite all files except the Images file.

Other TidBits

Aleph One/Marathon:

Aleph One with the original version of Marathon is also available as one bundle.
(M1A1 for SDL)
Download the file - extract the file.

Marathon2 for the PC

This is the original PC release from back in 1995. I have not installed Marathon 2 because of the installer's insistence on installing DirectX. This would be a step backwards for my machine and possibly would do irreparable damage.

Remapping Keys:

I remapped the keys so that "P" was moved forward and the application seemed to hang when I was using the second trigger and was moving.   I remapped the movement keys someplace else and the problem seemed to disappear.   I then hit the P key while using the second trigger and the game seemed to hang.   As it turns out Left-alt P is pause and Aleph One did not stop me from mapping it (left-alt is second trigger by default).

You can find maps created by others to download and play. If they do not work: try opening and re saving them with Obed. Obed is a map-making tool.

Search for additional SDL files at:
Bungie.org archives
and
Fileball.net

Find SDL information at:
Marathon Aleph One Open Source Project
and
Orbital Arm

You can create your own maps that will work with Aleph One using Obed. When you think you have a keeper, something others would like to play, then upload them to Bungie.org or Fileball and share them with the world.