Has anyone used VDMSound?

[m0ds]

Hello! I've been trying to play some of my favourite DOS FPS', including Doom & Blood, but naturally now I'm using Win 2k, sound is a huge, unsolveable issue. Luckily, VDMSound helps emulate old SB cards and stuff, and although I've been successful at getting the MIDI music to play in these games, I've had no luck with sound effects.

I've set it up as recommended, using the "Sound Blaster" option, but the game simply doesn't load - seems it can't produce any SFX and crashes. So I'm wondering if anyone else has used VDMSound and had success from it. I use a SoundMax sound card.

Or, is there a version of Doom or Blood that works through windows? Any help or suggestions, or general tales of experience with VDMSound are appreciated.

[voh]

Why don't you just use DOSBox?

[lo_res_man]

I've used VDMsound, I've used it for games that run fairly smoothly in whatever os you have, just no sound. For compatability problems, like the game refuses to run or something then yes I reccomend DOSbox. Just make sure your computer feels up to it, it takes a LOT of power.

[LimpingFish]

I use VDMSound and/or DOSBox for playing old games, though setting up particular games can be tricky.

Doom actually has a number of XP-compatible versions of the source code, and as such all you need to own is the original .WAD files and the game will run fine. These ports will also run Hexen, Heretic, Doom 2, etc.

Duke Nukem 3D and Shadow Warrior have similar engine ports available (and hi-res, replacement texture/sprite packs for most of the the graphics).

Blood doesn't seem to have a complete port available, but there are a number of WIPs.

For Doom, I'd advise using one of the ports instead of trying to get the game to run in VDMSound/DOSBox.

Blood will run in DOSBox, but you'll have to fiddle with the settings to get it to run with sound. Using a DOSBox frontend (such as D-Fend) should make it easier.

[R4L]

DOSBox is the way to go. I'm playing QFG1 now!

[voh]

Blood will run in DOSBox, but you'll have to fiddle with the settings to get it to run with sound. Using a DOSBox frontend (such as D-Fend) should make it easier.

It's not really fiddling. dosbox.conf has inline comments which explain pretty much everything.

Tips for speed: disable Gravis Ultrasound, set the core to dynamic and cycles to auto.

SB is standard: A220 I7 D3 H5 and that should be set up in the setup program of blood if it even needs it. DOSbox emulated SoundBlasters usually work fine with autodetect.

[GarageGothic]

Blood runs better just using VDMSound than with DOSBox, at least on Windows XP. I worked on one of the biggest mods for the game, so I've had to get it running on different operating systems throughout the years. This site has some detailed information of how to get it working with sound.

Edit: Despite what the guy says on the site, I did get it running the highest resolution (at least 800x600, possibly even more - but maybe I'm thinking of the map editor).

[m0ds]

Thanks for the tips! Guess I'll look into DOSBox, as I haven't been able to get sound to work with Blood on VDMSound, and BTW, I'm not using XP, I use Win2k

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Have you tried ZDoom or GZDoom?  They both require Doom (which it seems you have) and update it to run on modern machines in addition to other things.  GZDoom in particular adds opengl support and some true 3d surfaces and stuff.  There are some other programs that do the same thing out there but these seem stable.

http://www.zdoom.org/

http://grafzahl.drdteam.org/

[R4L]

Why not just use Doom Legacy?

[GarageGothic]

BTW, I'm not using XP, I use Win2k

Which is why I said "at least on Windows XP"

[arthur.com]

I use VDMSound and my games run normaly.
But they would not run if i hadnt used it.
So im grateful that they atleast run

[Monsieur OUXX]

VDMSound helps emulate old SB cards and stuff, and although I've been successful at getting the MIDI music to play in these games, I've had no luck with sound effects. The game simply doesn't load - seems it can't produce any SFX and crashes.

VDMS emulates the sound card plus a few things from MS-DOS in order to have the Sfx emulation work. so, basically, it only emulates the sound card.

Comparatively, DosBox fully emulates the OS.

So, even if VDMS is a VERY good program (and it is, oh yes!), it will never be able so solve problems related to ultra-optimized programs that hack into the OS / initialize the sound card in a weird way to gain some speed.

Doom does the second (I remember that IDSoftware's setup program initializes the sound card unproperly).

Conclusion : First, try with VDMS. If it doesn't work, try with DosBox. If it still doesn't work, try with DosBox again 'cause it's a bloody good emulator.

[nick.keane]

I've used VDMSound before, but I definately prefer dos box, more flexible to use and it runs everything. Especially good b/c the XCOM Collector's Edition doesn't work in Vista, *ahhhh!!!* so I put my trust to the original dos version and DosBox as always, and I have yet to be failed (at least with any game I've ever cared about!)

[arthur.com]

I dont even know how to operate dos box.
As said on one song ''we are the lazy generation''