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That doesn’t matter. You had it posted under someone else’s topic though when you tried to repost it, so I split it and made it into a new post. Unfortunately due to a bug, in the forum view it shows my name as the author, but not in the post view so that’s OK.
The museum area was the correct place to post it initially. I think this area was supposed to be just a discussion area. Anyway… as I said it’s not really a big deal. We’ll be cleaning up the musuem area in a few weeks anyway.
Okay, once again it’s update time. This time around I’ve added several new pages, rich with new locations, new items, more story element, some exciting surprises, some new illustrations by a new artist, and PERIL! So I’m very excited Let me know how you think it’s going Thanks, and keep reading!
Hi.
I think I inadvertantly posted this into the wrong category of this forum, so I have repeated it here (I wish I could delete the original post from the ‘Museum’ area, but I don’t know how…): QUEST FOR GLORY III DIGITAL SOUNDTRACK !! http://www.queststudios.com/quest/qfg3cd/qfg3cd.html
Quest For Glory 3: Wages Of War soundtrack, as recorded from the Roland Sound Canvas General MIDI score, with Roland/Edirol SC-8820 enhancements! Arranged and Produced by Quest Studios in April 2005.
If you haven’t heard this score played on top grade playback devices you’re in for a treat!
There was also a very similar-looking character named Art in Leisure Suit Larry 6. Al Lowe says on his site that was supposed to be a shot at him, but on the existence of Art Serabian muddles up things a bit. Maybe that’s what also happened here?
Yeah, it’s an interesting thread worth continuing.
My dedicated DOS PC is a Pentium 150 with 48MB of RAM, a 1.5 GB HD, Trident 64V+ onboard graphics, Sound Blaster 32 (a slightly less fully featured version of the AWE32), and a 16x CD-ROM drive.
This PC runs FreeDOS Beta 9 Revision 5 (this isn’t the latest stable release, but I’ll only upgrade when v. 1.0 is finally released), which uses its own CD-ROM controller, namely SHSUCDX instead of MS-DOS’s MSCDEX. This creates problems with some games, e.g. Inherit the Earth CD (an excellent adventure game), Flashback CD (luckily the original disk version works fine and is much better anyway), etc., and some audio CD player utilities. And for some reason, all of the classic Origin releases fail to run on FreeDOS. Why that is, I have no idea.
My regular home office/gaming PC runs Win98SE, which is fine for many DOS games, but it still feels somehow good being able to play these classics on an actual DOS PC.
Oh, and as a tip to those thinking of building dedicated DOS gaming PCs, Univbe has been released to the public and is available free of charge from http://www.scitechsoft.com/ftp/sdd/univbe67.exe . You can load it through a simple line in the autoexec.bat file: lh c:\univbe\univbe.exe, with c:\univbe being the directory to which it was installed. It’ll improve the running of graphic intensive DOS games, and make many others more compatible with your specific graphics setup.
I hear ya Tom. In a case like that, it really is hit and miss – and yeah, the feedback system fails ya too. I know at YOIS there’s a list of eBay users that have been blacklisted. Maybe we should setup something over here a bit more detailed, with a list of eBay sellers (just for Sierra games) and a description of how any transaction went so that those using eBay can check and see what experience others have had with any particular seller.
Well, here’s yet another year-old thread I’m resurrecting due to my newly-found member status! 🙂 It’s cool that this thread is here because a group of friends and I were talking about building some old computers to tackle our favorite games as they were “meant to be played.”
This also got the gears turning in my head for the creation of the SierraBox! Basically, a tweaked 486 or early Pentium with enough hard drive space to store ALL the Sierra games with a nice interface to access them all upon startup. Maybe even put the pic of HalfDome in the little square where the computer company’s logo goes. 🙂
This got me thinking even more, living in an “attractions” town such as Orlando, to open a Sierra Cafe of sorts… have these computers all around like an internet cafe, serve food themed to each adventure (Daventry-style mutton chops or an Astro Chicken Sandwich anyone?), and even have the option of people keeping their save-game disks on file at the restaurant, like some places do with personal beer steins! They already have a Pac-Man Cafe here which is very successful… but of course, many more people have played Pac-Man…
I found a good (but sad) source for old computers to be dumpsters. I live near the college, so when it comes time for everyone to move out, it’s like a goldmine! I found three computers in a single day… all P2’s or below… and the only problems with them were that the user managed to muck up Windows 95 to the point of it not booting up anymore. So I wiped the hard drives clean, wiped the grunge off of the cases, blew out the dust, and sold them to friends to use as Linux boxes!! 🙂
Tom.
Hmmm… I wasn’t aware of all these “sniping” sites out there. Do they charge for the service or is it free? I really do miss the good old days of eBay, which is just like the good old days of everything else: less idiots! I actually think I outsniped a sniper the other day when I manually bid an odd amount (like $34.83 or something) during the last 30 seconds. It looks like someone tried to outbid me, but the odd amount threw them off. SWEET!
On the other hand here’s MY latest frustration:
I bought a set of KQ’s for relatively cheap that were listed as “Like new, near mint, yadda yadda” with “all manuals and paperwork.” The photos were bad, but it looked like everything (yes, everything) was there.So they get here, and KQ5 is missing a disk (there’s a startup disk for the 256c version instead), KQ6 is missing the Guidebook, and the boxes are in overall bad shape. Needless to say, I complain, the seller denies it and THEN claimed they’re “no expert” and they were “as-is” 🙁 The seller never left feedback after they got my payment because they wait to see what other people say about them first. The feedback profile shows in every negative instance (about 5 out of 350) the seller retaliated by leaving negative for the buyer too!! Which is why the whole feedback system is flawed, but anyway…
/rant over! 🙂
Tom.
Here’s the coordinates…
coordinates.gifQuote:
“…Doing Sierra tech support over the years gets to me sometimes…..”
then dont do iti see the logic in using vdmsound even with older windows games. these games were designed to run with old soundblaster, adlib, and midi systems, so todays new soundcards probably present some incompatibility, even with the nice hardware abstraction that the windows programming model presents. the windows functions that outputed sound back in the win16 days were designed to work with those old cards. im sure that microsoft has made every effort to make them run in the win32 environment, but that emulation might be flawed in a way that vdmsound could help fix. who knows. certainly not you or i since neither of us developed windows or vdmsound. i haven’t taken the time to look into the source of vdmsound, so i cant say for certain if it helps or not. i doubt that you have either. you are just being rude.
and if someone prefers the windows version over the dos version, good for them. does it really matter to you?
If you have the manual for the Island of Dr. Brain (The Encycloalmanactionaryography), could you also scan the page with the coordinates? I’d really appreciate it. Thanks!
Alternatively, get rid of the windupdate.exe file if it exists and then replace either your existing autoexec.nt or copy this to where it should go:
http://members.cox.net/sandifer4/AUTOEXEC.NT
Regards,
– AlistairQuote:
“… (by The Walker) Jeez man, I’m not asking for any trouble here! All I wanted to know is if someone out there has the same techie problem as me, and if they found some way to solve it. I mean, if I buy a Honda and it breaks down, I’d like the mechanic to tell me if they can fix it… not tell me to buy a Chrysler before even looking at it. I got some more useful replies at a different forum, so don’t worry about it….”
I’m not suggesting you buy a new computer.. interesting choice of analogy.My analogy would be (in relation to your car one) that why would you try and use an incompatible Chrysler motor in a Honda vehicle, and then complain that the car won’t start. 🙂
Quote:
“…And if you have a better way of getting KQ6win to run without having to use VDMS (which, by the way, a lot of people have to do), then by all means… let us know! Please don’t belittle me for choosing not to use something else. I’m quite aware of the alternatives. That’s not the issue. Just try it for yourself and tell us how it goes. Maybe then we can discuss theory. I never said this stuff was rocket science, but it’s certainly not no-brainer material either. That’s why we have these forums and people coming up with “nonsense” methods to get their software to work in the first place. I certainly owe a lot to them….”
I already gave you a more than viable alternative; play the DOS version. No ugly ‘portraits’, no audio bugs that may crop up in XP when playing in Windows, fixed cursors..I apologise for ‘belittling’ you, such as it was- I admit I got frickin’ irked. Doing Sierra tech support over the years gets to me sometimes.. my bad. Anyways..
Sadly, in the realm of Sierra tech support, *especially* Windows games (ergo: Windows versions of DOS games) people simply know not much and plaster awful ‘solutions’ onto people. Whereas yours is quite clever, others, such as collector on these forums, give people these long complex “no-brainers” to either sound important or who simply don’t know what they’re talking about. I apologise again- you don’t fall into that category. Need anything, you know where to find me..
By the way- with regards to KQ6 Windows, there really isn’t a viable solution. The audio doesn’t playback correctly (MIDI doesn’t anyway), the cursors are in some weird res and every Sierra Windows game has weird code which renders it barely playable, even on old systems; let alone modern ones. But as you say, it’s your choice, hell it doesn’t bother me. 🙂 I’ll help you out if you have any other questions..
Regards,
– AlistairQuote:
“… (by Petros K.) Hello, my name is Petros Kipouropoulos and I live in Greece. I would like to know Roberta’s e-mail so I can contact with her (to Mr Ken: I have sent you already an e-mail, explaining the reasons).Thank youu 🙂
Petros
…”Petros:
I did receive your email and discussed it with Roberta.
She has not done any interviews during the last 10 years. I’m not sure I understand her reasoning, but she is definitely firm on this. I did get her to agree to answer some questions if you email them to me (or, post them here).
Thank you,
Ken Williamsoh yeah, it also does work offline and I’m using it right now. I keep falling into traps in the kin’s domicile, so that means I need bunches of kings passes
I always thought it would have been neat to take all of the video footage from Phantasmagoria, and make a move that’s just basically a “Walk-Thru” of the game. I actually tried this once, pointing a videocamera at the computer screen and starting/stopping the tape after each motion. After about 3 1/2 hours of “footage” I was still in Chapter Four, so I gave up the “project” hehe.
That did get me wondering though… if you did take an adventure game like King’s Quest 6, Gabriel Knight or something equally as “vast and encompassing” and made a movie that was just the walkthru of the game from start to finish, how long would it be? My guess is well over anything anyone would want to sit through without an intermission. 🙂
Tom.
Jeez man, I’m not asking for any trouble here! All I wanted to know is if someone out there has the same techie problem as me, and if they found some way to solve it. I mean, if I buy a Honda and it breaks down, I’d like the mechanic to tell me if they can fix it… not tell me to buy a Chrysler before even looking at it. I got some more useful replies at a different forum, so don’t worry about it.
And if you have a better way of getting KQ6win to run without having to use VDMS (which, by the way, a lot of people have to do), then by all means… let us know! Please don’t belittle me for choosing not to use something else. I’m quite aware of the alternatives. That’s not the issue. Just try it for yourself and tell us how it goes. Maybe then we can discuss theory. I never said this stuff was rocket science, but it’s certainly not no-brainer material either. That’s why we have these forums and people coming up with “nonsense” methods to get their software to work in the first place. I certainly owe a lot to them.
There are several things you could try. I’ll just copy paste my solution from the AG forum =)
http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_m.htm#16bit
MS-DOS or 16-bit Windows-based program Error Message
This installation program will reinstall the missing or corrupt Windows XP system files command.com, autoexec.nt and config.nt. The absence or corruption of one or more of these files causes a “16 Bit Subsystem” error.
XP_Fix.EXE by TRF Systems, Inc.
http://www.visualtour.com/downloads/xp_fix.exe Problems from other users:
Running Audit on my computer showed that a program called WINDUPDATE.EXE (not WINUPDATE.EXE) was deleting my Autoexec.nt file on boot up. If I replaced the file it would delete it again.
Go to \Program Files\WINDUPDATE folder and delete it!Go to your registry and delete anything named WINDUPDATE. Put the Autoexec.nt file back into your \system32 folder and all is well! This was definately the
problem here and I bet most everyone has the same nasty bugger, WINDUPDATE.EXE on their infected computer.Another note and workaround:
C:\Windows\System32\Autoexec.nt The system file is not suitable for running MS-DOS and Microsoft Windows applications. Choose ‘Close’ to terminate the application.
This problem just started around mid August 2004, so I suspect it to be related to a recent Microsoft Update that you may have downloaded for Windows XP.
HomeSchool Easy Records (the current version) is a Windows program (not a DOS program) but it is a “16 bit” Windows program. Apparently HER and other 16 bit Windows programs will run into this error when you try to run them. Note: HER version 3, now in the works, is a 32 bit Windows program, so it won’t be prone to this problem.
There is a cure. Please read the following tip and follow the steps to reinstall three files: autoexec.nt, config.nt, and command.com
Side note: You also want to look for the file “windupdate.exe” (note the spelling closely — the ‘d’) and if you find it anywhere on your hard drive, delete it! This is a secondary problem and you are not very likely to find this file. But if you have it, it actually deletes the autoexec.nt file each time you start your PC, so even if you restore the file, it will get deleted again!
Here is the tip originally posted to the Internet by Spencer Greystrong:
This article http://support.microsoft.com/defaul…kb;en-us;324767 is the Microsoft response to that error message. The fix involves expanding the original files from your XP CD and overwriting. The problem with that solution is that many people do not have the original CD. [So the links below were created so you can get the files directly].
When you click on either link below you will see a file-download window appear. Click on the “Open” button and you will get a WinZip self-extractor window. Leave the “Unzip to folder” set to “cwindows\system32” and leave the “Overwrite files without prompting” check box checked. Ignore the yellow warning sign (this is trustworthy code). Click on the “Unzip” button. The files will save to your hard drive. Then click on the “Close” button.
For Windows XP Professional click on this link: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/spence…/XPProfiles.exe
windupdate.exe is spyware and will read as: DPF: {15AD4789-CDB4-47E1-A9DA-992EE8E6BAD6} – http://public.windupdates.com/get_f…0f91b20c15a3e0e Hope this helps
Quote:
“…Oh yeah… and I recall the opposite happening too. My dad has a copy of SQ1VGA in the old EGA box and there’s a 256-color sticker on it.
…”Forgive me if it’s against forum policies to post links to ebay (some boards view that as spam) so please disregard/delete this post if that’s the case.
But here’s an example of what Brandon was talking about:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&?ViewItem&item=8185918709That big ugly VGA sticker is covering the title! 🙁
Tom.
Quote:
“… (by The Walker) KQ6 in *any* version is far from inferior. 😉 But to each their own….”
*roll eyes*Quote:
“…The weird thing about some of the early Sierra games for windows is that they need to start up within an active DOS-based environment since Windows acted like a frontend for DOS. So while VDMS doesn’t do anything for the game itself, you need it to simulate that environment before the game can start up. Otherwise, if you double click on the shortcut or the EXE itself, it won’t do anything. Space Quest 4 for windows was like this, too….”
Yes, that’s very weird, and likely incorrect.VDM Sound does nothing for Windows games. if you can get KQ6 (for example) Windows version to run by right-clicking and selecting “run with VDMS” that’s nothing to do with DOS/Windows. It’s either to do with the NTVDM system loading (which I guess is sort of what you’re saying) or simply letting the game run because it allows you to use correct res’s or something.
SQ4 for Windows is even worse. KQ6 has ugly pictures, SQ4 is simply crap in Windows. Download the CD-fixed version that’s much much better at http://www.SpaceQUest.Net if ya get a chance..
Quote:
“…I wouldn’t say that the steps are nonsense since I’ve spent a few hours getting all my old DOS games to work in windows XP without requiring their CD’s to play. KQ6 just ended up being the biggest problem. Getting KQ6 for DOS to work is easy, but I like to challenge myself. =) It feels good to get things working where the solution isn’t obvious. But since there doesn’t seem to be a quick magical fix to this cursor bug aside from installing VirtualPC or an older version of windows, looks like I’m out of luck. I’m in no mood to design a full-scale 16-bit Windows emulator project. =P…”
Absolute nonsense. And it’s not rocket science to get CD games to run off your hard disk..Yes, challenge yourself by making problems and solving them. Excellent.
Instead of being ‘out of luck’, why don’t you go do something useful for yourself and play the DOS version using VDM Sound? Honestly. Some people amaze even me! 🙂
– Alistair
Quote:
“…let’s say roughly 20+/- issues at an average of 80 pages per issue (they got pretty thick by the end)…”
You’re right, they get thicker as they go. There are almost 40 Sierra magazines, including the early newsletters, that will be included.Quote:
“…If you wanted to get away with charging $20-$30 I’d say you’d have to throw in something to sweeten the pot. But that’s me….”Quote:
“…Personally, I’d willingly pay up to $50 for it! (uh oh, I shoulda kept quiet.)…”
I don’t think we’ll convince you that the full set of InterActions on a DVD is value and special enough, nor will you convince us that it isn’t. So we can agree to disagree and we’ll have to see how things go when it’s done. It doesn’t really make sense to add other things such as Tom was listing to this project. They’ll all be released in their own time in their own way.Quote:
“…Of course, what you REALLY should do is release a 16-color version of the scans on disk, and include an order form to “upgrade” to the 256-color version on CD. ;)…”
Haha, good one.Quote:
“…and include things such as demos, videos, and other multimedia that was sometimes included with the issues. Or even take it a step further, and include scans of all the catalogs that were included with the games….”
We will eventually have all of these things (and more) scanned and collected as well, and lots of stuff for free access online as well. As a matter of fact, in the coming weeks we plan to make more announcements regarding things like this so that people know more about what we’re doing.
