Favorite AGS game too old to play on todays computers? Not anymore!

vexxice · Tue 17/08/2010 20:52:59

Rejoice!

I have found a way that allows anyone to play old AGS games on todays computers!
(Note: when I say old, I mean comes with 'rundos' 'runwin' 'setupdos' and 'setupwin'.)
The simple solution is Dosbox!
1. Download Dosbox off of its site.
2. Download CWSDPMI (Warning: some sites that host this file may contain viruses, trojans, etc.)
3. unzip both
4. If you got the installer version of Dosbox, install it.
5. Place CWDPMI.exe in the AGS games folder.
6. Run Dosbox
7. In the command prompt that appears, type: "mount I C:\AGS\" Without quotes (Where 'I' is a fake drive you want to mount, and 'C:\AGS\' is the directory of the folder of the AGS game.)
8. Type "I:" without quotes (Where I is whatever drive letter you mounted)
9. Type "setupdos.bat"
10. in the dos setup choose autodetect for the sound and midi categories then choose a resolution in the final category. Save and Exit of course.
11. You should be brought back to the command prompt.
12. now type in the name of the games executable (e.g. Night of the hermit: "Hermit.exe") and press enter
13. Have fun!
PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REPEAT ALL THESE STEPS IF YOU WANT TO PLAY AGAIN
If you want to play the game again, and you have already done the aforementioned method, You can just do this...

1. In the command prompt that appears, type: "mount I C:\AGS\" Without quotes (Where 'I' is a fake drive you want to mount, and 'C:\AGS\' is the directory of the folder of the AGS game.)
2. Type "I:" without quotes (Where I is whatever drive letter you mounted)
3. now type in the name of the games executable (e.g. Night of the hermit: "Hermit.exe") and press enter
4. Have fun!

P.S.
Thank you for taking the time to read this tutorial and I hope It keeps those old AGS games away from the recycling bin! :'(

Ali · Wed 18/08/2010 00:07:51

To save time mounting every time, I usually create a .Bat file for each game to run Dosbox with a custom config file. I though that was worth mentioning in case there's anyone left who's not familiar with Dosbox.

Out of interest, what role does CWSDPMI play in this?

Alun · Wed 18/08/2010 02:59:59

Yeah, I've been able to get most old AGS games to run this way, but unfortunately it doesn't seem to work for all of them. In particular, I've been trying to replay all the RON games recently, and I seem to be completely unable to get Nightwatch to run successfully -- I've tried running it under Dosbox, and it starts up fine but then always crashes right after asking if I want to see the introduction. (Of course, Nightwatch doesn't come with a "rundos" "runwin" "setupdos" and "setupwin", so maybe it's <I>not old enough</I> to run this way... though I haven't found any other way that works. I'm thinking I may have to install Virtual PC to get it to run, but don't really want to go to the trouble...)

Still, though, yeah, this method has worked for every other old AGS game I've tried it with. Not sure what it is about Nightwatch that makes it so persnickety...

Gilbert · Wed 18/08/2010 04:28:36

As Nightwatch was made in 2008 it's highly possible that it's using the Windows engine already, so there is no point to try it with DOSBOX (I'm quite surprise that it even starts to run at all in DOSBOX).

If for some reasons you cannot run it with a "modern" Windows system all you can do is to try out the compatibility modes or virtualisation.

In fact, for old games made with versions of AGS not old enough (i.e., V2.13 and later) to have only a DOS engine, another method worth trying is to run those games with the Windows engine (instructions here and to setup the games just read this). The engine executables could be obtained by downloading the corresponding AGS package of the correct version.

Edited: Oh, it seems that you're talking about the RON game and it seems that some people did have problems trying either method. I think it's all about luck then. SOme people may be able to play it and some may not.

Alun · Wed 18/08/2010 04:39:45

Quote from: Gilbet V7000a on Wed 18/08/2010 04:28:36
As Nightwatch was made in 2008 it's highly possible that it's using the Windows engine already, so there is no point to try it with DOSBOX (I'm quite surprise that it even starts to run at all in DOSBOX).

Wrong game. I was referring to the RON game Nightwatch. Which was made in 2001, and apparently uses the DOS engine. I was not aware there was a more recent MAGS game by the same name, but that's not the game I'm talking about.

The RON games older than Nightwatch I've been able to run -- I had some trouble with The Soviet Union Strikes Back, but eventually got it running under Dosbox. Nightwatch so far, however, has defeated my best efforts. (I've played it before, years ago, so I got it running once, but that was on an older computer; can't get it running on my current Vista system.) Ah, well; as I said, installing Virtual PC will probably work, if it comes to that; it's just more work than I was hoping to have to do.

EDIT: OK, looks like we cross-posted there; you edited your post while I was writing this one. So... OK; you know what I mean now, then.

Anarcho · Thu 19/08/2010 21:12:03

Are we actually at the point where there are AGS games so old they don't play on current computers? Good lord.

Anian · Thu 19/08/2010 21:26:10

Quote from: Anarcho on Thu 19/08/2010 21:12:03
Are we actually at the point where there are AGS games so old they don't play on current computers? Good lord.

I think it's more due to Windows being retarded piece of software.

Gilbert · Fri 20/08/2010 02:12:12

They're actually AGS games that couldn't be played even on some system of the same era.

Some older versions of AGS had certain bugs (possibly memory bug) that would make the games crash on some system. Some games just had bad scripting.

LimpingFish · Fri 20/08/2010 03:18:37

D-Fend Reloaded.

Takes all the hassle out of using Dosbox.

Khris · Fri 20/08/2010 14:27:12

I had to try myself, so I went Dosbox + CWSDPMI.exe.
I got the game to run (without sound though), but it crashed a short time into the intro.

arj0n · Fri 20/08/2010 15:26:31

D-Fend is indeed the best front-end for dosbox for the moment, tried almost all of them some time ago and lot's of them didn't work properly enough of not at all...

Peder 🚀 · Fri 20/08/2010 16:16:13

Anyone have a complete list or would like to help map out all AGS games that wont play on XP + systems?
I'd like to map them all then try to "fix" those games before hosting them on www.agsarchives.com..

Like Gilbet V7000a mentioned there are ways to "fix" some of these games without having to play the game through dosbox.

PM me if interested

.

vexxice · Wed 25/08/2010 01:50:54

Quote from: Ali on Wed 18/08/2010 00:07:51
To save time mounting every time, I usually create a .Bat file for each game to run Dosbox with a custom config file. I though that was worth mentioning in case there's anyone left who's not familiar with Dosbox.

Out of interest, what role does CWSDPMI play in this?

Quite honestly I'm not sure WHY you need it, but I do know dosbox wont run the AGS game unless its in the game folder.

Leon · Sat 28/08/2010 08:09:12

Quote from: Khris on Fri 20/08/2010 14:27:12
I had to try myself, so I went Dosbox + CWSDPMI.exe.
I got the game to run (without sound though), but it crashed a short time into the intro.

That's not DosBox... it's the game. There was a corrupt version once and that one has been archived.... The working version hasn't been located yet.. I'm still hunting. I have no workaround for that one yet. I've been able to run the others on DosBox/VirtualPC so far....

Alun · Sat 28/08/2010 17:47:27

Quote from: Leon on Sat 28/08/2010 08:09:12That's not DosBox... it's the game. There was a corrupt version once and that one has been archived....

But the copy of the game that I can't run without it crashing at the question about the intro is the same copy I did successfully run (eventually) on my old computer. I didn't download it again -- I just used the same copy of the game that I still had saved on an external hard drive from years ago. Even back then, though, I recall having some trouble getting it to run, but I eventually succeeded -- on my current computer, it seems to be completely hopeless. Granted, that was still some time after the game was originally made (I first downloaded and played it in 2005), so I didn't necessarily get the original version, but the point is that I was previously able to get it to run.

So, no, it's not a matter of the archived copy being corrupt (assuming it's the same copy I have from 2005, but since I'm getting the same errors as everyone else that seems likely). It is -- or was -- possible to run it on older systems. But apparently there's something about the intro (or the beginning of the game, given that it crashes after asking you if you want to see the intro even if you answer "no") that just isn't compatible with newer systems.