Getting the games to run, Need help! Options

[Elsa Von Spielbu...]

Alcibiates

In order to be able to change to a specific drive, you have to mount it into DosBox first so it knows it's there

For example to mount c drive type:

Mount c c:\

then you should be able to change to it

[Spikey]

Well, I've read your post a couple times, and I didn'd see anything about copying and then installing....

I didn't mean to be rude! I wasn't referring to your post. Rather I posted and somehow it got deleted!
You didn't see it because somehow it's gone. <helpless look>

If you're copying folders of files straight to your hard disk, you shouldn't be installing! You run the install.exe file to set options. You skip the install to 'c:' bit!

Regards,
- Spike

[Alcibiates]

Elsa-That was the first thing I did when I got dosbox, I set it up in the config, and everytime I launch dosbox, it automatically mounts, and tells me so.

Spike-No offense taken, I was just worried I had missed something some how. So, I've moved the files into the C drive (local disk C, with all the other folders like "program files" and such, and now I'll run setup. What command line should I use in dosbox to make the game run?

[Elsa Von Spielbu...]

I know this will sound real stupid but....

What letter is your hard drive?

[Alcibiates]

lol, its paritioned into c and d, but d is just used for loose storage, everything I use is on C.

[Spikey]

You really don't need DOSBOX for QFG's 1-3. It can be useful for 4, for getting the music to run properly.

Once you've copied a game folder, don't try and install anything- but definitely run install.exe to set up your sound, music options, etc. You can then patch the games and run with VDM Sound and Speedset to achieve perfect gaming, no DOSBOX required.

- Spike

[Almirena]

I'm awaiting a reply from Unknown...

[Olaf]

Right on, I got my qganth to work by watching you guys puzzle it out over this thread. I only have one question: how do you get the DosBox to go fullscreen mode?

[Olaf]

Nevermind, I found it on another thread.

[Almirena]

<smile> Good. Happy playing!

[Alcibiates]

Dammit, everyone seems to be able to get these games working but me :-(

I'm going to look into VDM, hopefully I'll get some results, but it'd just be nice to have them all work fine normally. So, can anyone point me to a guide on how to get the patches installed, that'd be great...

I just need these games working!

[Charles]

Getting these games up and running shouldn’t be the grand challenge it appears to be. (Forgive me, I typed up a really informative and enjoyable read on precicely what to do, then I clicked a link somewhere and lost it all... I’m going to try to redo this, so hopefully I won’t forget something important along the way.) I should tell you, your system specs are completely irrelevant (unless you’re going to use DOSBox.) If you bought a computer anytime after 1995, I guarantee you these games will work fine.

First things first, you absolutely have to install VDMSound (http://vogons.zetafleet.com/ndldownload.php?filename=VDMSound2.1.0.exe) if you want to have any hope of listening to the audio these games have to offer. Once that’s done, you can get on to playing the games.

Quest for Glory I (typing) and Quest for Glory II are the easiest to get running. You don’t even need to copy them to your harddrive (but you can if you want to), because they’ll run off your cd-rom. All of the games are pre-configured for EGA/VGA picture, and soundblaster-compatible audio, which every machine today is capable of. Technically, they’ll almost all work off the cd-rom, but because the others have timer issues that are easiest dealt with when copied to your computer, we’ll set those aside for now. For the 1st two games, however, all you should need to do is browse through My Computer to you CD drive (drive “E” I believe for you?) and through to either the QG1OLD folder or QG2 folder. From there, right-click on one of either QG1OLD.BAT, SIERRA.COM, or SCIV.EXE (depensing on your computer’s setup, you might not see the extensions, so it’ll be QG1OLD, SIERRA, or SCIV instead). ANy-who, right click on one of those, and choose Run with VDMS. If VDMS give you any kind of write-error message (as it should, since the ROM in CD-ROM stands for “READ only”) just tell it to ignore. That should let you run QG1OLD and QG2 fine. Just remember that when you want to save, you need to choose your harddrive.

Quest for Glory I (point’n’click) and Quest for Glory III are slightly different matters. Because of things like the Weapon’s Master and “For what have you come, friend of Rakeesh” you need to have them fixed. If you don’t know how to copy them to your harddrive in Windows XP, read on: Again, browse through My Computer to your CD drive, and highlight the folders for the games you want (i.e. QG1NEW, or QG3E) then go to the Edit menu near the top, and select Copy To..., then select where you want to copy them to.

Now comes the fixing! Download the appropriate patches from http://geocities.com/belzorash/ and unzip them to their respective game’s folders on your harddrive. Some of them might ask if you want to replace certain files. Just say yes. Remember, so long as you don’t snap the cd in two when you’ve finished copying the games to your harddrive, you still have the unaltered versions, so fixing any mistakes is easy; just delete and try again.

If you really want to (and why wouldn’t you want to), you can do the same methods as above to copy the two typing QFG games to your harddrive, but if you do, do yourself a favour, and download this replacement configuration program: http://sierra.happy-land.ca/sierraDOSInstall.zip. It’s the familiar blue/green install/configure screen many of us are familiar with. Just incase you ever decide to play it in 4 colours with internal speaker sound.... for nostalgia, or weird bragging rights. Whatever gets you going.

The hardest to get installed and working is (in my opinion, at least) the best of the four to play. Shadows of Darkness. The first thing you need to do is get this one onto your harddrive. Because it’s files are seemingly scattered throughout the entire disc, it’s easiest to go through it’s own DOS install. Again, browse through My Computer to your cd drive, and from there, double-click INST.EXE (or, if like above, just INST) This might take a second to get going, but it should also correctly install everything for you. You want to choose the Full install, because you’re going to need to put some updated patches in there too, from the same place as above: http://geocities.com/belzorash/ just like before.

I think that just about covers everything. Unless I’m forgetting or missing something, I’m fairly confident you shoudl be able to get up and running in no time. Tomorrow’s lesson: “Playing Shadows of Darkness with full voices, and no CD.”

This post has been edited by Charles: Oct 30 2004, 01:28 AM

[Almirena]

Everybody, this is Unknown Hero - who is a hero by anyone's definition.

Thank you so much, Charles, for making such a very clear and informative post. I will definitely pin this information up for easy access so that everyone who's got this problem can see the easy-to-follow instructions.

[Elsa Von Spielbu...]

[Alcibiates]

Alright, I got 3 working, but I don't know how to install the patches, do I just put them in the qfg3 folder? When I go to put them in, they don't copy over anything.

Also, would I be better off trying to get this game working in dosbox? Because I remember it had some serious bugs the last time I tried playing it....


And mucho thanks unknown hero, were you on the original sierra forums way back when? I was a member for a time as well, but anyways, your name just rung a bell, thanks again for the awesome help!