Installation Notes - Longbow Gold on Windows XP (covering the use of DOSBox, Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit and 3DFX version) Extracted from the SimHQ Jane's Longbow Series Forums, on getting LB1/LBG to run successfully on DOSBox... Hi Flyboy - dual core for me, 3.0ghz. I never tried to get it to run 'dos-box style' before my upgrade to dual core a few months ago, but it seems like from what DeVoo wrote maybe a dual core really is the ticket. I did change those resolution lines in the DOSBox config, and I *think* I'm seeing 1280x1024, but really with those graphics being the way they are it's hard to tell what kind of improvement I'm genuinely seeing. I guess the terrain isn't quite as "boxy" maybe? -- Hi Devoo - I'm not using any front end for DOSBox, to be totally honest I'm not even sure what that is! I'm basically using a combination of Flyboy's no-cd install method from his page, then I mounted the cd images I made from the disks as per Damson's post up above, then I run the game from a .bat file (Flyboy's install method again). I had to put the .bat file in the DOSBox folder to get it to work (it wouldn't start from the desktop for some reason). Don't know if that's helpful or not, I feel like I'm sort of flailing around a bit in the dark with this stuff and it's a bit of a miracle it's running at all. -- Speaking of flailing around in the dark, I couldn't resist and tried to get the GoldFX patch working again last night. I got a lot closer than before, but I'm not all the way there yet and am hoping someone can help with the "flashing cockpit" problem. Was going to start another thread for this but figured I'd put it in this one first... Basically, I installed LBGold in windows and got the game to run just fine by using the windows compatibility tool (only using the tool, not changing the compatibility mode on the shortcut or .exe in the folder). 640x480 was checked on the first page, then "global status memory lie" on the next page. (got this info from various posts, "Reticuli" and "DKM"). Then, I installed the GoldFX patch (running the patch in the Win98 compatability mode). The game ran, but the graphics were very strange, images bleeding on top of each other, the smoke trails were big boxes, etc. After trying different glide wrappers and DGvoodoo versions, dgvoodoo 1.40 seems to be the best one. It doesn't crash, it looks good (it'll be hard going back to the software terrain especially) but the big problem is the cockpit flashing on and off. One second it's there, the next second it's gone (but you can still see the mfds). Another (much less serious) problem is that the objects are a bit "see through", which is distracting when using exteral views but not noticable really when flying from the (crazy strobing) cockpit. Has anyone had the flashing cockpit deal and been able to fix it? Seems a shame to get so close and then have to give up. I have a geforce 7600gt, I noticed that some people who have gotten it work relativity stable have geforce cards, maybe I need to try different drivers? Older ones? Thanks - PS installing the 104e patch wasn't working out for me, when I did that and then put the GOLDFX patch on there was no luck - wouldn't even start up for me. Only on my 4th or 5th reinstall when I forgot to apply the patch did I start making some progress. weird. -- speck01 <> Hi speck, thanks for the progress report. I thought you might be a dual-corer. No, you probably aren't seeing any major improvements for running LBG at a higher res, it's just a mental-comfort thing really. Don't know about the flashing cockpit thing. I've never got THAT far before! Probably is something to do with your graphics card/drivers/glide wrapper versions and/or combination. You could be forever and a day working it out, if you ever DID work it out. -- Flyboy <> But I'm so close!!! Nah, I'm not really... still in the same boat. Last night I started trying all different kinds of nvidia drivers, going back years; more wrappers too, but that cockpit was still flashing on/off, on/off. Thought about trying to sync up my blinking with it but then realized it was very late and I needed some sleep. I think you're right, and I need to just let this go. I found a post on simhq from a few years ago where someone had this "flashing" cockpit problem; I guess I was secretly hoping they would have solved it with something simple that I just never thought of. Anyway, thanks for responding. Glad I have it running on Dosbox at least, I'm in the middle of the Baltic campaign and it's a blast. -- speck01 <> YES! Flyboy, we have lift-off!! The dual core upgrade apparently was the trick for me. Using your install instructions, my previous P4 1.8 machine could install and run LB Gold, but at painful slide-show frame rates. But with this new dual core E6850 3 gHz beast, it's back to the future. That is, I can now run this sim from 1997. Hmmmm... But thanks again for your excellent and clear instructions for LB Gold, on your website. At first I was stymied by the install utility claiming I didn't have enough free space to install the high level graphics. This was odd considering I have about 350 gigs free. So installed at "Medium" level, then changed in game at the Options screen to high detail, with no trouble. The only other problem so far was getting a joystick recognized. Couldn't. Read at the very end of your install instructions Item IV: trouble with joystick calibration. Changing, as you suggest, the "timed=true" line to "false" in the .conf file cured that problem. So far LB Gold is running smooth as silk, sound is fine, graphics are...retro. And long live retro! -- Eugene <> speck01 - yeah, you could be eternally trying to figure it out. Have you, apart from dgVoodoo, tried out zeckensack's glide wrapper? Might be worth a shot. Find the link to it on my site. You are currently running in 3DFX mode? I'd love it if you would send me some shots for my site - even with the flashing cockpit - I don't have any shots of LB Gold in Glide mode! I could then do a comparison feature. Eugene - well, what can I say. WICKED! Strange we need such beastly machines to run such old games smoothly. Yeah, that joystick 'fix' is the sh*t. Keep me/us posted on your progress. What do you think of the flight model? I think it is a lot more sensitive than in LB2, when playing the Windows version - how's it for DOS? Much easier to get into vortex ring! Also note that you will be able to lock onto targets in excess of 7.9km (as in LB2) - you can now engage (at least with RF Hellfire) targets at 8.8km+!!! -- Flyboy <> Hi Flyboy - I did try out zeckensack's glide wrapper, but unfortunately no luck. I just uninstalled (for what I said was the last time) the 3dfx version last night because I decided to fly a mission, flashing cockpit be damned, but it turns out that really isn't the only problem. What I thought earlier was only a small problem (the slight transparency of objects while using the external views) is actually a much bigger problem - some of the terrain is transparent too! you can see some objects through hills, you can see other hills through hills, it was all too much to take. But if you'd like I can reinstall it again some time and take a few shots - who knows maybe it'll inspire someone to try and have a look at getting it too work. I've never actually taken a screenshot and sent it to anyone, what's the best way? -- speck01 <> Hi speck, I'd really appreciate it if you can remember the method you used in getting as far as you did with the GOLDFX patch. Step-by-step, then me and others could try it out and see if we get flashing cockpits, etc. How did you get around the missing files problem? Also, did you get the 'dunk' Windows error before entering the game? How did you overcome that? To take screenshots, I use a registered (well, AHEM, hacked version of HyperSnap-DX), but any good image program should do. Basically, just capture the screens in JPG format to a directory and then zip (using WinZip or similar) them up (preferably) and send them to me via my e-mail (link is on my site). You can use 90% save quality for the JPG images, as this will reduce the filesize significantly but retain essential quality. Look at the help/readme with your chosen screen capture program, to see how to take screenies with that particular program. Hope that helps! -- Flyboy <> My conclusion Basically, if you've got a single core processor, you're out of luck, as LB Gold WILL run, but at slide-show framerates. However, if you have a dual core or quad core processor, you can successfully run LB Gold through DOSBox at full res, full detail, and with super-smooth gameplay. Getting the game to run in Windows still presents compatibility issues with game stability and graphics performance. I suspect that many of you will be blessed with a newer PC that boasts dual or quad core technology, so running the DOS version should be a blast! Thanks go out to speck01 and Eugene for their testing and posts on this subject Edited by Flyboy