WC3 Kilrathi Saga WinXP

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Thanks to have posting the thread in the french forum ;) .
If people add their configuration (like I have suggest people), I will add them here. So we will have on the both side a chance to find solutions ;) .

For INFO : for me (the configuration above with the 2.8 Ghz, 1 Go Mo Ram and so on), the compatibility Windows help the game but it's not a succes :mad:
 
Hi,

My tests are finished ! :cool:
They are based on a SONY VAIO PCG-SRX51P/B :
Win XP Pro SP1, Mobile Intel Pentium III 850 Mhz, 382 Mb RAM, DirectX 8.1, Yamaha AC-XG WDM Audio, Intel(R) 82815 Graphics Controller with 4 Mo.

WC3 Dos-version without the Patch
The game works good without errors and compatibility mode. With Compatibility Mode the game don't work (it blocks) !
This is how I hace configured the game with Sound Option :
Sound card : Roland MT-32/LAPC-1
Port I/O 330
FX Sound : Soundblaster/Combatibles

The Music is OK but Sound FX is not very good quality... But Videos are perfect. It is in the missions that the FX Sound is not perfect.

WC3 Kilrathi SAGA Version (Dos version with the Patch)
The game started good but.... hey... no...... it blocks in the game :-)

Compatibility Option tried => not a succes
Background programme closed => not a succes


BUT : I have tried to desactivate the ACCELERATION of my sound card... THE GAME BLOCKS IMMEDIATLY (in the introduction video with origin logo) !!!!!!!!!! So... maybe it is the instruction to the soundcard with make this error ! This is an idea... not sure. ;)
 
I've also done some more testing:
1. I tried to check whether PCs which can run WC3 KS under XP are suffering the DOS Sound Problem or not. And it seems that those things have nothing to do with each other. But was worth a try anyway.

2. I have tested one more PC, wanted to test another (with Win2k) but coudln't even start the game (although I had SP 4 I was unable to use comp. modes. Thought they should be there, but they were not :( )
Here are the Data (very incomplete cause some stuff is really old)

MoBo: no idea, some MSI
CPU: Intel PIII 500Mhz @560Mhz
RAM: 256MB SD-RAM PC-133
Gfx: ASUS Nvidia TNT
sound: Terratech 128PCI
HDD: WD 13GB, I think
Drive: LG DVD (don't know speed)
OS: Windows XP (no SP)
Directx: 8.1
WC3 working: YES
Compatibilty Mode: Win95, everything else selected. WITHOUT that it also suffers the crashing. - So another PC which got fixed by that method.

3. I have tested what happens if I just keep inside the game without doing anything. - And result: Even after 4 hours it didn't crash, could also select things afterwards. So the crashing really only occurs when selecting things on the Victory or after a Movie play ends. It never crashed for me ingame nor during a video (except when I skipped it, but that's the same as if the video ended normally)

Not much new, but at least something ;)
 
Hi,

"Still strange why the same soundcard makes trouble in one Pc and no! ne in the other."
The old computer was a 1Ghz with 512 Mo RAM => WC3 OK With Windows 95 compatibility
The new computer is a 2.8 Ghz with 1 Go RAM => WC3 NO OK

Same soundcard (Soundblaster Live player 5.1)
Same graphic cards (NVidia GeForce FX 5600 128 Mo)
Same hard disks (2*MAXTOR 35 Go - SCSI)
Same Windows (XP)
SAME manufacture : HP-COMPAQ (www.hp.com)

I think that my old computer supported Wing Commander 3 because it had a better synchronization between the speed of the processor and the sound card. It is possible that a recent sound card would arrange the problem. What could explain that Gregory has no problem with his AUDIGY and his 3 Ghz...

My new computer is recent and my sound card begins to date... Maybe that it can provoke cuts of instructions and so block the game... I do not think that Windows XP is in cause.
It is the KILRATHI SAGA version which has a problem ! Because the DOS version of the game would work PERFECTLY if you have a SOUNDBLASTER 16 !

What it would be necessary to make it is to test the KILRATHI SAGA version with a SOUNDBLASTER 16 on a computer which does normally not support Wing Commander III. We will so be able to know if yes or not the sound card plays a role in This problem.

The other solution conciste to install a SOUNDBLASTER 16 in your computer and to play with the WING COMMANDER III'S DOS version. It will work then without errors.
 
THE_WUQKED said:
3. I have tested what happens if I just keep inside the game without doing anything. - And result: Even after 4 hours it didn't crash, could also select things afterwards. So the crashing really only occurs when selecting things on the Victory or after a Movie play ends. It never crashed for me ingame nor during a video (except when I skipped it, but that's the same as if the video ended normally)
Click to expand...

So WC3 can run but the Game crash when YOU are in the Victory ??? I have not very good understand, sorry.
That WAS the same problem in my computer too. But NOW i can't run WC3 anymore ON THE SAME COMPUTER ! Or 1 time for 5 launch :eek:
 
What I was pointing at is:
- I started Wing Commander III
- clicked me through the Victory till you see Hobbes for the first time
- left my PC and did something else at ANOTHER PC
- came back after 4 hours and saw: The PC didn't crash! And I was able to enter the lift after thats, so no afterwards hanging either

EDIT: To the "crashing part":
That didn't have to do that much with the first thing, I just once again pointed out, that
- Movies themselves do not freeze and crash
- when you fly the game does not crash
- the game crashes when you are in the Victory AND select options (like talking to someone or using the Lift)
- the game crashes AFTER a video ends.

To your SB theory: Sorry, dude :( As you can see in my 2. rig, I've got an Audigy for my 3.2Ghz, too, but the comp. mode didn't help me :(
And to the SB16: Normally any Creative card (and any other better one I think) can emulate a SB16 under DOS with the right configs, but I haven't tried fiddling around that much with my 3.2Ghz into that direction. - Mainly want to get it working for my 3.067Ghz ause it has the Joystick and I'll take it back when university starts again ;)
 
It's me again. I got an email from topnalias a few days ago where he describes how he got working his WCIII with his 2.8Ghz. But honestly I didn't understand what he was really talking about :( - Already asked for clearance, but got no reply yet. Maybe some of you understand what he has done exactly:
You won't believe me... but...... WING COMMANDER 3 KILRATHI SAGA work FINE with my 2.8 Ghz....... I don't believe it myself :-) And the worst is that it is by pure fate that I found my solution !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, I can play with the Kilrathi SAGA during more than one hour without crash. The game crash yes, but very very rarely !!!! At last I have found a solution....

Hey... I know the solution is Absurd yes... but But as I said it to you, I discovered it accidentally. I wanted to register words (Maniac and so else) in Wing Commander IV with AUDACITY (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/). And that did'nt work...I thought so (it arrives at me LoL)... AND...I thought that by assigning more power (since the administrator of tasks) to Audacity, sound would record correctly and THAT WORK... So I have recorded some features in WC4 and.... I told me : why not to try Wing Commander III.. Just to record introduction. So I launched game without option of compatibility by trying. I immediately made ALT+ENTER (like WC4) to see how worked Audacity.

And there, paradoxically, Wing Commander III did not block. I was able to play 3 missions in succession WITHOUT ERRORS. I deactivated scenes in options but game works also with. Then, I pushed test farther : I loaded a mission which asks for the CD 4 and Oh surprised... Game works PERFECTLY. It blocks but very rarely. But it is necessary that Audacity runs behind plan which turns with the regulation in the administrator of tasks (I put it " IN real time").
Without AUDACITY and this regulation, game works (why?? It did not work yesterday... But yesterday Internet was connected and AntiVirus actived) but it blocks about every 45 minutes.

TO NOTE ALSO THAT MY CONNECTION INTERNET WAS DISCONNECTED!!!!! My card network was activated but the cable eas disconnected. The antivirus was deactivated and any program behind plan too. Firewall was activated. Antivirus and Firewall at Mcaffee.

I'm so happy...... I hope that "this solution" will work....
We can try to configure WC3 with MAXIMUM POWER from the CPU (RELA TIME)... Maybe it will work too. So they are a relation to the power...

Have a good day
Tomorrow, I re started schcool
Click to expand...
And here the second one:
NOW, the game without AUDACITY.
But I have noticed that XP put WC3 in High PRIORITY as default.
I have so put WC3 In NOMRLA PRIORITY and the game worked fine.

Without Internet and Antivirus too.
Click to expand...
No idea what that Audacity is, so that's maybe why I don't get it :( - Anyway, hopefully someone (if not topnalias himself) can explain me what the trick was. Thx ;)
 
Looks like an audio capture tool.
But as far as I get that description all you have to do is to alt+tab out of teh game, open task manager and set wc3 to normal priority there (only works for nt-based systems). Might also work by using the proper parameters and the command "START"
 
I see. Hmm, I have tried that one, too, I think. But maybe I'm mixing there something up with Wc Prophecy (fiddled around with that one, too, to get the Video working) I'll try out that one again, I guess, when I'm back at home.
 
Hi, been reading this thread, so I'll put in my 2 cents worth...

I'm running WC3 (DOS version), patched with English version of the XP patch from the French site. I ran through a couple of missions on CD1 without problem. No problems changing discs either when loading savegames (I had old savegames). The game apparently needs to run with the "WC3MUSIC.TRE" file, also d/l off the French site. Without this music file, WC3 freezes in the video segments and I need to reset my rig.

My rig specs:
P4 2.8 Ghz (533FSB)
ASUS P4PE mobo BIOS ver 1007
1 X 512MB PC2700 Kingston RAM
2 X 80GB Western Digital HDD with 8MB cache (800JB) non raid
ASUS E616 16X DVD-ROM
Hercules Radeon 9700 Pro 128MB
Creative Audigy 1

all at stock speeds

OS: Win XP SP1
no compatability mode activated

WC3 is installed on a 2GB FAT32 partition (C:\Wc3), I run off the CDs in the DVD-ROM.
Catalyst drivers 4.4, Creative drivers are Audigy 2 ZS hacked v .443

Hopes this helps somebody. Thanks for your time.
 
Thx for the input. :)
So now I know for 100% that my ATI card can't be the problem, and your rig is only 266Mhz slower than mine (Shuttle XPC). So all in all not much diff, I'd say. Hmm, I guess I'll fiddle around some more with my version this evening :)
 
It's me again. :)
I've done some more tweak tesing with my Shuttle XPC, but still no going :(
Here is a list of what I tried (in different combis that is):
- No HT
- changing AGP Aparture size in BIOS (hope I wrote it right ^^)
- different compatibility modes
- CPU Killer 2.05
- DOS CDs and Kilrathi CDs changing
- changing Priority (Alt+Tab always resulted in a crash after going back to the game when the video ended :( )
- Ah... think that's it.
That stuff is really getting to annoy me :(

P.S.: I'm using Cat 4.4 at the moment, btw.
 
WC3 KS won't run also

I am also trying to get WC3 from KS to work with no luck. It is strange since the WC1 and 2 worked fine. :( I also tried all compatibility modes etc with no luck. Here are my specs also hoping it will help

MoBo: Asus A7V333-X
CPU: AMD Athlon XP 2600+
RAM: 512MB PC3200
Gfx: GeForce4 Titanium 4600 128MB 4x
sound: Sound Blaster Live
HDD: Maxtor 80GB ATA/133 7200RPM
Drive: BenQ ATA/33 56x
OS: Windows XP Home SP1
Directx: 9.0b
WC3 working: No, freezes with black screen right after "Origin" opening cinimatic
 
Sorry, to hear that, but: Finally an AMD suffers the problem. That means it has really nothing to do with one kind of hardware. The only guess left is: Problems with CD-drives. But no idea how to check it :( - Maybe exchanging with older drive?
But to be honest, it seems to me now more and more to a seperate software problem, but no idea why it appears on some PCs and not on others and why fixes do not work for all PCs.

So thx for the input ;)
 
I have an old CD-RW in the system that has an 8x read speed, I will use that for trying it tomorrow and let you know if there is any change.
 
I tried it on the 8x CD but had the same problem, the Origin thing plays then it is just black. :( It is really annoying with WC1, 2, and 4 all working fine.
 
Good News

I have just finished playing 3 missions in WC3 :) Whoo hoo! I noticed that one of the very few systems that was able to run WC3 used the Nvidia driver 40.72 so I went into the archives and installed that version. After doing so WC3 ran perfectly without any compatibility mode used. Of course nearly nothing else will work now, but installing video drivers isn't THAT much of a problem for finally getting this thing working.
 
I have just finished playing 3 missions in WC3 Whoo hoo! I noticed that one of the very few systems that was able to run WC3 used the Nvidia driver 40.72 so I went into the archives and installed that version. After doing so WC3 ran perfectly without any compatibility mode used. Of course nearly nothing else will work now, but installing video drivers isn't THAT much of a problem for finally getting this thing working.
Click to expand...
Great :)
I'll try out diff drivers for my ATI 9700 Pro as soon as I'm back at university (my Shuttle PC isn't here in my hometown anymore, cause university just started last week). I can't try it out at the moment, cause my CDs are not here. But hopefully it'll work for most of the others, too :)
 
Hi guys!

I've had the same problem, but I finally got it working by using Win2000 compatibility and tuning down the process priority to normal. But unfortunetely, this doesn't always work.
I can play without any problems on this box (Athlon 1333, XPSP1, 896 MB RAM, Geforce4 Ti 4200), but my AthlonXP 2800 still seems to lock up, though I'll try and play around with the settings a bit - I'll keep you updated on that.
So, it seems that priority and compatibility MAY help, at least it did for me. As always, your mileage may vary.

Regards from Berlin/Germany,
Vanion
 
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