Is there an operation manual to the game? Not yet since the program is still in its beta phase where many things concerning the operation are under changes. But Sahib was so kind to write a PDF document which briefly explains how to use the program (but it is in German). Do I have to start a server to play the game? No. You can play as soon as there is 1 server anywhere on the internet. And normally there is 1 HQO+ server running on kitana.org on which everybody may play. HQO+ finds servers automatically when pressing the button Search server. You only have to start your own server if you want to play HQO+ on LAN and are not connected to the internet. My self-created images have black pixels at their border. Only the color black (RGB: 0,0,0) is considered to be transparent by the image convertor. You have to carefully clean the background and then fill it with the color black before saving the image. My self-created images are transparent in their middle. The image contains black pixels (RGB: 0,0,0). This color is considered to be transparent by the image convertor. To avoid unwanted transparency you can slighty lighten the image or raise its levels before saving it. Here it is enough to use a minimal value which cannot be seen by the human eye but turns the transparent pixels into solid ones.