Question about DOS

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Angelus3K
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#26 Post by Angelus3K » Sat Jul 16, 2005 12:07 pm

I'm sure AGS has a DOS version, but I doubt whether it would run the AGDI games or not...

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#27 Post by adeyke » Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:20 pm

SQ6 crashes somewhere in the DNA-scanning part.  I think that's a timer bug, too.

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#28 Post by Radiant » Sat Jul 16, 2005 9:48 pm

AGI and SCI0 games never seem to have any problems (well, except if you put an AGI game on 'fastest' speed :) ) but many SCI1 games are rife with timing bugs - e.g. SQI+, SQIV and QFGIV. Usually, patches can be found on the internet. This is rather unique as games go - many old DOS games run far too fast on contemporary computers (also some of them run perfectly fine, for instance because they link to your monitor frequency) but Sierra games have several internal timers that would run in sync on a 16-MHz computer, but not on a 400 MHz box.

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AGS in MS-DOS

#29 Post by mikej23ca » Mon Jul 18, 2005 1:04 am

Ok, so from reading all the responses and doing some research on my own, I have found that one of the features of AGS is the "MS-DOS versions of the game engine, to maximise the number of people who can play your game." - which I took directly from their website.

http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/

Does this mean that I could, in theory, install the MS-DOS version of AGS and then be able to play QFG II?

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#30 Post by Erpy » Mon Jul 18, 2005 4:08 am

Yes, but why would you want to? If your computer isn't strong enough to run at least Win98, it certainly isn't strong enough to run QFG2VGA.

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#31 Post by Kurdt » Mon Jul 18, 2005 5:44 am

*imitating Lucille Ball* But EEEEEERRRRRRRPYYYYY, he WAAAAAAAANNNNTS to play it in DOS!!! :cry

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#32 Post by mikej23ca » Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:04 pm

If your computer isn't strong enough to run at least Win98
Ok.  my computer is now a pentium... running MS-DOS.  I can run WIN98 if i want to but, I do not wish to put any windows on it at all.  So, it is definitely strong enough, which was your concern.  So, I guess I can basically wait and see if it will work when the game is finally released, but I would like to make any changes necessary before that actually happens, so that I can play asap.

Are there any other problems that anyone can forsee about running AGS in DOS?

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#33 Post by navynuke04 » Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:06 pm

The game was not designed to be run that way. We aren't going to test it. It may work, it may not. We won't be supporting a DOS version of the game.

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#34 Post by adeyke » Mon Jul 18, 2005 6:52 pm

You could just test with KQ1VGA or KQ2VGA.  What works/doesn't work with those would probably also work/not work with QFG2VGA.

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#35 Post by Peter Swinkels » Mon Jul 18, 2005 8:36 pm

Although I think it's interesting to see how newer software behaves on older systems/operating systems I don't see why you are making such a big deal about whether QFG2VGA would or wouldn't run under MS-DOS unless you don't have a fairly up to date computer or you don't have computer running Windows....
Last edited by Peter Swinkels on Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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#36 Post by Ghost_Rider » Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:26 am

Frode wrote:What about Windows ME?

oh, wait don't even go there  :lol

Yikes... Windows ME.  That has to be just about the worst one.  Actually... it IS the worst one.   :x

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#37 Post by Peter Swinkels » Tue Jul 19, 2005 12:52 pm

The worst version of Windows I ever used was Windows 3.0 (1990) in my opinion. It came with my parents' 80386 which they bought in 1991.  :x

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#38 Post by mikej23ca » Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:10 pm

I don't see why you are making such a big deal about whether QFG2VGA would or wouldn't run under MS-DOS
Look guys.  I really do not mean to be a pain about this...

I am 29 years old and live with my mother.  Not because I choose to.  Because when I was 18, a drunk driver took my legs, my left hand, and rearranged my face.  Not a scratch on him.

He and his family had no money, so basically all I get is a disability check from the government every two weeks which is barely enough to take care of the both of us.  So, I pretty much got screwed.  All I have for myself is some old computer 'hand-me-down' parts that fortuneately I've been blessed with the knowledge(internet) of being able to put together.  (and you try building something with 1 hand and a stump.)  I am also fortuneate to have a good family friend that lets us use his computer from time to time for email and research and the like.

The only thing that really makes life enjoyable for me is playing video games.  And this remake of QFG II has been a very exciting project for me for the past few years.

I do not want to receive sympathy nor any other 'special' treatments.  I cannot afford to buy a newer computer and I merely wish (hope) to figure out how to play this game with the system I have.

I really do apologize if I seem to ask too many questions or if I make a big deal out of it.  To me... this is a big deal.

Thanks everyone for your help so far.

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#39 Post by Pidgeot » Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:04 pm

Considering your situation, I can totally see why you'd want to run it in DOS. If you can post some more detailed specificatinos of your system, we can probably tell you if you have any hope of running QFG2VGA that way.

I believe the absolute minimum for a somewhat satisfactory performance of AGS games is a 300MHz processor, though the DOS version may be able to make do with less than that (since there pretty much aren't any other applications to hog memory and processor time).

Alternatively, as adeyke suggested above, it might be easier to just try KQ1VGA and/or KQ2VGA. If they work under DOS, QFG2VGA should as well.

If this doesn't work, you should be able to get a used computer with a ~500MHz CPU for about $50 - maybe less or even free, if you are lucky. Even considering your financial situation, I would think it's possible for you to put a few dollars aside every month ($5? $10?) and save up for one, so you'll be able to buy it eventually.

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#40 Post by Peter Swinkels » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:50 pm

Okay, now I see. But, as far as I know and as pointed out in the post above a (second hand) computer that can run AGS games in Windows shouldn't be that expensive. My Pentium III 600mhz whichs runs the games fine probably isn't worth one bit any more.

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#41 Post by mikej23ca » Wed Aug 24, 2005 2:48 am

I got AGDI's Kings Quest II remake working in DOS.  Thanks for the help.  It was a tough one.  

Haven't had internet access for a while so, I've lost myself in the Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday universe for a bit.

Only waiting for the release of QFG...!  Thanks again.

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#42 Post by Angelus3K » Wed Aug 24, 2005 8:11 am

Glad to hear you got it working! Enjoy it  ;)

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#43 Post by ejx982 » Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:49 am

To Kurdt & Moses

I ran all the classics on my 486sx 25mhz, with a SoundBlaster 16.  Back in the day of DOS v5.0, then Upgraded to DOS v6.22.  I was also remember running QEMM & DesqView so I could manage my memory (load all conviental apps into Extended or High Memory, then use DesqView to multitask within DOS :).  

but.. I'll take WinXP anyday.  It took me a bit to configure DOSBox to get my settings correct, but now it works as good as new.  I can even Alt-Tab back to windows and burn Discs this time :)

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#44 Post by ejx982 » Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:50 am

Pidgeot wrote:If this doesn't work, you should be able to get a used computer with a ~500MHz CPU for about $50 - maybe less or even free, if you are lucky. Even considering your financial situation, I would think it's possible for you to put a few dollars aside every month ($5? $10?) and save up for one, so you'll be able to buy it eventually.
You can get a Pentium 1 75mhz Laptop, with 16MB of RAM, 1GB HD for like $5, wipe it, put DOS on it, and you'd be fine to play the classics.

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#45 Post by Pidgeot » Thu Aug 25, 2005 2:56 am

Yeah, but that isn't enough for KQ1VGA and KQ2VGA, which was what the OP wanted to run in DOS.

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