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D O S G A M E S A R C H I V E N E W S L E T T E R
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No. 12 * October, 12 1999 * http://www.dosgamesarchive.com
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Welcome
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Welcome to the 12th issue of the DOS Games Archive News-
letter! We included the second part of the article about
setting up a unique environment for DOS programs. We hope
you'll like it.
If you have any ideas for future content/articles to
include in our newsletter, we would like to hear from
you! Please e-mail us at webmaster@dosgamesarchive.com
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Table of contents
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+ What's new on DOS Games Archive
- Download guide
- New books in book shop
- Lycos download search
- New games in game shop
+ DOS is fast (part two)
- Before you start
- CD-ROM
- Soundcard settings
- Graphic card
- Joysticks and gamepads
- Creating your own environment
- Advanced settings
- Memory
- Screen
- Misc
+ Top 10 downloads
+ Do you need a classic game?
+ Wanted!
- Sierra games
- Hobitus
- KGB adventure
- Simisle
- Commander
- Killcar
+ Webpoll
===================== Sponsor message =====================
Speed up and resume broken downloads with Go!Zilla 3.5. Go
for the freeware version and more information to this URL:
http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/gozilla.html
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What's new on DOS Games Archive?
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-- Download guide -----------------------------------------
We created a new download guide; now it's easier for people
who don't know how to download and unzip a game or
application.
URL: http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/dowguide.html
-- New books in book shop ---------------------------------
We added some new books to our book shop. Here is the
complete listing of the books which are in our online shop:
* Running DOS Games under Windows 95.................$15.96
* DOS for Dummies....................................$15.99
* The Duke Nukem 3D Level Design Handbook............$19.99
* The King's Quest Companion.........................$15.99
* Descent II: The Official Strategy Guide............$15.99
* CD-ROM Classics: Cheats and Hints..................$19.99
* 2,001 PC Cheats....................................$14.99
URL: http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/bookshop/index.html
-- Lycos download search ----------------------------------
We now provide a new search tool from Lycos on the games
and applications pages on our site. You can search for
downloads on other sites and FTP servers, so it's very
usefull. If you are still looking for a game, try our new
search tool, maybe you'll find it!
URL: http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/games-t.html
-- New games in game shop ---------------------------------
We added a lot of new cool games to our online shop. You
can see them all in our games shop. There are more than
200 titles. All games are very cheap!
URL: http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/gameshop/index.html
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DOS is fast (part two) by Chris Cruickshank
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This week's article looks at creating and setting up a
unique environment for running DOS programs (usually
games). The article will look at the major areas that you
need to consider when setting up a shortcut so that the
program can be launched.
-- Before you start ---------------------------------------
Before starting to create environments there are some
things you need to know about your system. It is a good
idea to find out the items listed below, write them down
so that you can refer back to them when needed. Here's the
list:
* CD ROM settings
* Soundcard settings
* Make and type of graphic card
* Joystick or gamepad port
-- CD-ROM -------------------------------------------------
This is crucial to setting up games as most require access
to the CD-ROM drive. There are two main things to look for
and these are the lines contained in the system files that
make your PC recognise the CD-ROM drive. One is contained
in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and the other is contained in
CONFIG.SYS.
The CONFIG.SYS entry tells the system about your CD-ROM
drive. It forms the communication link between PC and
CD-ROM drive. The line will look something like this:
DEVICEHIGH=C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\CPQIDECD.SYS /D:IDECD001
The line varies from one CD to another but you can
recognise the line by having the /D: within the line (by
the way - don't be fooled, the D: is nothing to do with the
drive letter). What follows after the /D: is the drive name
as your system knows it. In the above example it is
IDECD001. This is set for you by the PC or CD-ROM
manufacturer and should NOT be changed.
Within the AUTOEXEC.BAT file is a line that runs
MSCDEX.EXE. This program uses the communication link
between PC and CD-ROM. You will see in the line the name of
your CD-ROM drive (IDECD001 in this case). The line looks
something like this:
LH C:\WINDOWS\MSCDEX /D:IDECD001
Make a note of your CD-ROM drive name.
-- Soundcard settings -------------------------------------
These tell programs what type of soundcard you have and
its' settings. Most programs can automatically detect these
settings but when setting up your own environment, you may
need to 'tell' the computer.
Again, the place to look for such settings is in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file (some soundcards may also have CONFIG.SYS
settings).
The commonest type of soundcard is the SoundBlaster and
even if your card isn't a SoundBlaster, it may have Blaster
settings as you can be sure a game will recognise this
card.
In your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, look for a line that looks
something like:
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1
The key words here are SET BLASTER. The three settings
after the equal sign are port number, interrupt and DMA
channel. Write these down and keep them safe. If you have
to set these during a games' set up routine - you will have
the correct values to enter. Failure to enter the correct
values may cause the computer to crash. (If this happens,
just reboot your system).
Check your documentation to see if other settings are
required.
-- Graphic card -------------------------------------------
What you need to know:
* Make and model type (there are a LOT of different makes
and the model number is also important)
* The amount of memory it contains
* Whether it has 3D capabilities
* The maximum screen resolution it can handle. This depends
on the amount of memory it has. The more memory, the
higher resolution it can handle. Games for DOS don't tend
to use a resolution above 1024 x 768 but if you are using
a DOS ray tracing program, this maybe be important.
Your graphics card or computer reference manual will give
you all the details you need to know.
-- Joysticks and gamepads ---------------------------------
Only a couple of things you need to know:
* The type of controls the controller has (four buttons,
throttle, number of fire buttons etc).
* The make and model. This is only needed if you have a
fancy controller that offers additional features that are
not found in a standard joystick.
-- Creating your own environment --------------------------
This is achieved by creating a Program Information File
(PIF) that contains details of your program. In addition,
Windows 95 let you create a custom boot sequence so that
all the resources the program needs are present (CD-ROM,
Soundcard etc).
First off, if you haven't already done so, install the
program using its' own install routine. Then create a batch
file to launch the program and make a shortcut to it.
Click the newly created shortcut icon ONCE, click right
mouse button and select 'properties'. A window with six
tabs will appear: 'General.', 'Program', 'Font', 'Memory',
'Screen', and 'Misc.' This is where we create our
environment and set how the program is to run.
The 'General' tab can be ignored, it simply tells you the
file creation date and attributes. We first need to go to
the 'Program' tab and click on the 'Advanced' tab.
-- Advanced settings --------------------------------------
Once clicked, the advanced button reveal a screen that lets
you determine how the program is to run. You will see that
Windows will select 'MS-DOS mode as necessary' and you
maybe lucky enough to get away with this setting. If not,
click on the 'MS-DOS Mode' button.
You will now see two areas beneath become enabled and this
is where we place those settings discussed at the beginning
of this article. Enter the resources you need.
The 'Fonts' tab can be ignored (this is used for running
DOS programs in a window, something you can't really do
with a game).
-- Memory -------------------------------------------------
This is an important screen for the program to work. Keep
the following in mind:
* Set all memory settings to 'Auto'
* Allow the use of extended memory (click the check box)
* Allow the use of expanded memory (you may need to change
the NOEMS tag, Windows will advise you on this).
-- Screen -------------------------------------------------
The important areas in this screen are:
* Run the program in full screen mode, not a window
* Leave the initial size to 'Default'
* Place a check mark in the other boxes (this is the
default)
-- Misc ---------------------------------------------------
The essential points here are:
* Disable your screen saver. This is crucial as a game that
is interrupted will usually crash or distort the display.
* Leave the other settings to their default.
Finally, click on the 'Apply' button. Your DOS program is
ready to run!
When you click the icon, the system will appear to reboot
(into MS-DOS mode) and your program will run. When you exit
the game, your system will reboot back into Windows.
Have fun!
This article is written by Chris Cruickshank
Copyright (c) 1998 Chris Cruickshank
We would like to thank Chris for providing his article.
===================== Sponsor message =====================
The book 'Running DOS Games under Windows 95' takes a
practical approach by showing how to set up a Windows 95
or 98 system for all those DOS games without conflicts.
http://www.dosgamesarchive.com/bookshop/index.html
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Top 10 downloads
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The following games are most downloaded from our site:
1. Mario 6. Cannon Fodder
2. Prince of Persia 2 7. Wolfenstein 3D
3. Pinball Fantasies 8. Ninja Rabbits
4. DOOM 9. Wacky Wheels
5. Lamborghini 10. Worms
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Do you need a classic game?
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If you need a classic game or application, come visit the
channel #oldgames on EFnet, or if you have access to a news
server, visit the newsgroup:
alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.old
There you will find lots of oldies, and you could request
whatever you want.
URL: news:alt.binaries.warez.ibm-pc.old
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Wanted!
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In this section you will find postings from our forum. Most
people are looking for a game that isn't in our archive.
Maybe other visitors (or readers of this newsletter) own
the game. Then they could contact the person who has
written written the message.
-- Sierra games -------------------------------------------
> "Know where I can find the full versions of Sierra games?
> None of the recent stuff, I'm talking about the Police
> Quest series, Space Quest, Lesuire Suit Larry, Kings
> Quest. If anyone knows where I can find any games like
> these, then please send a reply, or email me. Thanks."
Brent - kornet@kornfreak.com
-- Hobitus ------------------------------------------------
> "Hi all! I was looking all around the web, and didn't yet
> find a game called "Hobitus". It's a RPG style game,
> first person view, where you go in the forest, get some
> skills etc. It's really good, please help me find it!"
CarbonMan - d_shahar@internet-zahav.net
-- KGB adventure ------------------------------------------
> "Help me! For last three years I'm trying to find
> the complete version of Cryo/Virgin's spy adventure KGB.
> I have downloaded it from several sites but when I finish
> the third level (full game has 4) program halts and
> message 'file or disk error' is displayed. Maybe this is
> not full version (could be that 4th level is missing) or
> maybe I need a crack. I have found only one crack so far
> (at http://underdogs.cjb.net/) and this one doesn't work.
> Please, help me find full version or one crack that
> works, I'd be very grateful."
Luka Matic - lm34282@pinus.cc.fer.hr
-- Simisle ------------------------------------------------
> "Does anyone know where I can find Simisle? Please?
> E-mail me if you know."
Drucey - drucey1@hotmail.com
-- Commander ----------------------------------------------
> "I'm looking a long time for an old game. In this game
> you play a soldier in a battlefield. You choose a
> mission, and being parachuted in the beginning of the
> battlefield map. The game's name is "Ranger" or
> "Commander" or something like that. The game is from
> around 1991, and it was a DOS game. Help!"
Yair - judkov@netvision.net.il
-- Killcar ------------------------------------------------
> "I am looking for an old game named Killcar. Is there
> anyone who could help me?"
Gijs - sepulu@hetnet.nl
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Webpoll
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Here are the results of our webpoll:
What's your favorite game genre?
Action 29% 346 votes
Arcade 22% 266 votes
Strategy 23% 276 votes
Simulation 15% 176 votes
Other 11% 132 votes
Total votes: 1196
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Thanks
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That's it for this issue of our newsletter. See you next
issue and thanks for reading!
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