Help Privateer 1

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DIE_emm386

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Hello all,

https://www.wcnews.com/webmirrors/tech/download.html

scroll down to privateer (original ) and view the text file.

in section 1. e) not the following:

NO EXPANDED MEMORY MANAGER
--------------------------
device=c:\dos\himem.sys
dos=high
files=25
buffers=25
shell=c:\dos\command.com c:\dos /p


I am desperately trying to play Privateer on my WinXP laptop. Unfotunately there are no dos drivers for my onboard sound card. Also I cannot get emm386.exe to load even with custom compatability settings.

The above text found in the file at this site leads me to believe that there is a version of privateer (possibly released on floppys) that does not require emm386.exe. Can anyone confirm this for me? I have the full Privateer/RF on cd, but if the earlier version runs with no emm386 I really want to get a copy of the executable.

I'm not asking for a copy of the game, I'd still use all my resource files and stuff, I just want the .exe.

Thoughts, comments, and suggestions welcomed. Thank you for your time.

P.S. - I've tried DosBox as well but its unplayably slow, even if I run both it and privateer from a ramdisk.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't have the floppy version, but I'm quite sure you'd need expanded memory as well. Also, the CD version has a few differences from the floppy version, so I don't think copying just the executable would work anyway.

I don't have any experience with WinXP yet, but good luck anyway - Privateer is one of the hardest WC games to get working on a modern computer.
 
You can get working Wing Commander Privateer with DOSBox 0.61. - You only have got to switch off EMS Memory, then it works. Oh, just read, you already got it running in DOSBox. Well, to the slowness: Have you tried to struggle around with the cycles? Maybe that helps. I only installed it and haven't really played it, but for the Intro to run normal speed I needed 10000 cycles, maybe needs more for the game. I'll check that later, when my PC is here again. Anyway, it "should" be possible to run it at normal speed, cause it's one of the older DOS Games, that don't need so much power, like WC III or WC IV, for example.

But maybe another solution could be VDMS. Not sure, if it works, but maybe it does.

P.S.: Yes, I really need to register, but currently too lazy ;)
 
If you right click on the .exe file (in Xp) and select properties. Then select the memory tab and allocate all the memory you need from there.
 
Anyway, I don´t think Priv1 will work with XP. Perhaps creating a FAT32 partition on your HD, and running Win98 or just plain DOS in it will be your best choice.
 
Ok, I just played a little bit Wing Commander Privateer with my PC with DOSBox 0.61, and it works OK at about 9000 to 13000 cycles. Any higher will lead to sound probs. The only prob I found so far was a crash at the end of the intro if I don't skip it. But maybe I just choose the wrong sound settings.
Too bad I don't have a joystick for this PC, had to paly with mouse :( - Oh nearly forgot it:
My Setup:
P IV 3.2GHz
1GB DDR PC3200
R9800Pro
Win XP SP 1
Audigy
and Dosbox 0.61

But 9000 cycles isn't too high for slower PCs, imo. So it should work for you, too. Just test what cycles are best for YOU (cylcles are diff from PC to PC!), and if nothing helps, set frameskip to 1 - will still look good enough ;)

I hope this helps you somehow.
 
I can go over about 7000 cycles in dos box without it pegging my cpu. And I really don't mind the slowness so much, or the choppy sound, its the laggy input that kills me. There is no way as it runs currently that I have any chance of winning a dogfight without HS or better missiles.

By the way switching dosbox to render with openGL increased its performance slightly and made priv look a lot nicer.

Tried VDMsound with no succsess, get the infamous ems driver not responding message.

Well I can't really repartition my driver, however I was able to create a boot disk that will let me create a 256 meg ram partition then copy the files from my cdrom and play. after I quit i can copy the save to the floppy. 1 problem tho.... no sound!!

I have a crystal semiconductor CS4205 audio chip, and have not been able to find any dos driver that will run it, and I have tried quite a few.

Oh, and using a ram drive for both privateer and dosbox in xp didn't help much either! I'd really like to play this game, either by tweaking dosbox somehow or finding a dos driver for my audio card.

any suggesstions?

Oh and I think I posted the wrong link above, get privateer and RF along with some other WC games for free here:

http://www.the-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~/game.php?id=1271

anyway thanks everyone for taking your time to read my woes, I do appreciate it.
 
Hmm. Have you tried to disable EMS in VDMS, too? Haven't tried to play it with VDMS yet, but maybe it helps. - I need to do this to be able to install WC3 via VDMS.
And if the sound get's crackling, you have to lower cycles again :( The only things I can think of to tweak DOSBox a bit more at the moment are:
- set frameskip to 1 or 2
- use loadfix. Don't know, if it really helps, but who knows...
Ah, just read through the DOSBox Forum, trying to find some help for you. To run Privateer in DOSBox at acceptable speed you need ~2400+ or similar. So if your CPU is clearly slower, I guess DOSBox is no alternative for you :(
To the OpenGL thing: I guess I'll try that for Tomb Raider and WC 3, maybe it helps there a bit more...

UPDATE: I've searched a little bit more, and didn't find anything about VDMS and Privateer. :( - So I think I'll try it on my own. I'll report back, when I played a little bit around with it.
Another possiblity could be MyJEMM (or how it's called) - but I'll try VDMs now...

UPDATE2: Hmm, I've tried to play around with VDMS now, but no go. Already tried to use different Memmory Progs, but it didn't work. Also tried several Memory Settings in VDMS. But it seems, as VDMS won't work with Privateer :( That's really a shame... And I don't know your soundcard, so I can't help you there either, sorry.

UPDATE3: Ok, I just found out something interesting: If I set my output to OpenGL, it's not really getting faster, but if I use overlay it's way faster. - The Skips in the WC3 movies appear in bigger periods - ~every 20 to 40 secs instead of ~every 5 to 15 secs. Didn't change anything else. So maybe this helps you, too. - especially cause you are much closer to playable speeds than I was/am. Oh yeah, too bad DOSBox doesn't support HT. That way I could increase my Cycles maybe another 10k and play WC3 (doesn't run with VDMS for me :( )
 
It's not top of the line anymore, but its no putz.

Dell Inspiron 8200
P4 1.7 Ghz
1024 MB DDR
GeForce 4 Mobile

I tried WC3 with vdm sound last night, the game plays but all the cut scenes are messed up, they lock then you have to press ESC to continue.

I found that reducing the sound buffer in DosBox to 1024 helped smooth the sound out. There were more breaks, but they were much shorter and the sound more closely matched the onscreen action that way.

And from some news group searching i've done. I found that its not a problem with ems that prevents privateer from running, its that NT / XP don't support VCPI which privateer uses to shut down emm and then take direct control of memory. Or something like that anyway.
 
Ok, now this is some kind of funny: You can play Wing Commander 3, which I can't properly with VDMS (says, ../../DATA missing or so, see other thread a little bit down in this forum) and I can play Privateer without probs, which you want to play :S
But the "have to press ESC to end movies" bug sometimes happesn with WC4, too. Or WAS it only 3? Can't remember anymore. Didn't read that Thread carefully enough, cause my WC3 doesn't run at all. - Ok, I've got working all my WC games (wC 1 to 5, priv 1 and 2) on my K6-2 400Mhz, but now that i get more and more working under XP, I want the Rest to work, too - Currently WC Prophecy Movies and WC 3 (and WC4 DVD of course, cause I don't have a MPEG2 Card installed in my normal PC. But would play the cD version anyway, cause it's in German, and the DVD only in English + I can still watch the videos seperatly) are the only WC games I have, that do not work correctly.

To the EMS thingy: Yep, read that at dosbox Froum, too. But switching off EMS still helped to fix it, even if it's originally VCPI's fault. As far as I know even the guys in the Forum didn't really understand why it still helped, although Privateer originally requires VCPI :confused: - which, if I remember right, DOSBox doesn't support either.
[...] its that NT / XP don't support VCPI which privateer uses to shut down emm and then take direct control of memory.
Click to expand...
I see... That explains it a bit better, than what I read.
 
I found this using google to search news groups. It's a rather lengthy chunk, but I found it rather interesting and informative. Priv1 will never run on xp without an emulator or being re-written :(

- DOS Protected Mode Interface (DPMI)

It is a quasi-32-bit programming model that DOS programs can be
written to. [ I can't remember the software interrupt functions
that provide it, something like 83h??? ]

- 386 Processors and Ring 0 "Management"

A DPMI "manager" handles putting the 386+ processor in "protected
mode" handling the all-important/critical "ring 0" of the 386+
processors MMU (memory management unit). A DPMI "program" must make
use DPMI function calls to use those services, and *NOT*
access/reprogram the processor directly. So, _multiple_ DPMI
programs _can_ be running simultaneously, with the DPMI "manager"
handling all the protected mode switching of the processor.

- DPMI co-existance with DOS memory extensions

In addition to DPMI services, most DPMI "managers" can easily
provide for programs that use:

- Regular "Real Mode"
Normal 20-bit 8086 addressing, upto 1MB (640KB actual)
Of course ;-P

- Extended Memory Specification (EMS, 24-bit 286+)
24-bit 80286/16-bit ISA-hardware-based addressing,
upto 16MB.
Maps 1MB+ blocks into sub-1MB space, for
20-bit 8086 compatibility.

- eXtended Memory Services (XMS)
24/26/32-bit, 286/386 addressing, upto 16/64/+MB
Accessing 1MB+ via either _physical_ BIOS Int15h
XMS hardware (286+), or various 386+ MMU (memory
management unit) techniques in software
(pre-empty physical BIOS Int15h)

Many 386+ memory managers could also provide EMS c/o XMS via
software, thanx to the 386's MMU. EMS was provided "as demanded"
and simply "ate away" from available XMS memory as allocated.

These techniques are just "memory access" methods. The idea is that
the program is using these "services" to get extra memory, and NOT
trying to "reprogram/manage" the CPU's protected modes. Some
programs that require EMS/XMS actually *DO* try to access the CPU's
protected modes, and then the manager can "fail." Some managers can
"unload temporarily" and "give up" 'ring 0' control, but as long as
no DPMI programs (or other "tricks") are running.

- Windows 3.x and 95/98 (4.x)

Windows 3.x and 4.x (aka Windows 95/98) was also written to
"co-exist" with a DPMI manager (although it required some
"concessions" on the DPMI server's part). HIMEM.SYS could provide
several models, semi-dynamic, for XMS/XMS+EMS (standard) and, later,
DPMI w/XMS+EMS (386 Enhanced).

This is an _over-simplification_, which requires some "attention" on
the part of the DPMI manager (like HIMEM.SYS or a 3rd party one),
but it is some what of the "gist" of it. If fact, several of
Microsoft's _own_ utilities that used XMS routinely "took issue"
with Windows. SMARTDRV.EXE was one utility where Microsoft _failed_
to write certain functions correctly (like the all-important Int3Fh
"warm boot").

- 286/386+ Ring 0 "extenders"

As such, DPMI canNOT co-exist (at least not residently) with "DOS
Extenders" that use a variety of non-standard ways/methods to *DO*
touch "ring 0". The most infamous is:

- Virtual Control Program Interface (VCPI)
24/26-bit 286/386 addressing, upto 16/64MB
Accessing 1MB+ directly, usually can only co-exist
with mainly real-mode programs/TSRs
(limited EMS, if at all, no XMS at all)

VCPI is only good for 1 program at a time, because the "program"
(NOT a VCPI "manager") is in control of "ring 0" (unless the
programs _all_ agreed on how to do VCPI -- which was a per-vendor
thing). DPMI was eventually introduced as the VPCI "replacement,"
as it introduced a "manager" for ring 0.

- DeskView, PharLap, QEMM386 VCPI Usage

QuarterDeck's DeskView, Most PharLap extenders (and the programs
that used them) and countless older games use VCPI. Some memory
managers that got excellent >640KB "packing" used VCPI to do so.
QuarterDeck's QEMM386 was one such program, and DeskView took
advantage of its VCPI control (and had an API so programs written
for Ring 0 could "co-exist").

- 386Max's "dynamic" DPMI loading, VCPI compatibility

My favorite extender was always 386Max. You _could_ do some of the
stuff QEMM386 did, but it stuck with a "dynamic" DPMI manager by
default, and "got out of the way" of VCPI. It provided some DPMI
TSRs in later version, but if you used them, it, of course, kept
VCPI from working. The idea was it would give you the "maximum
memory" that was "maximum compatible."

- DR-DOS' DPMI-based DMPS, Task Switching

DR-DOS took this further in 6.x+. They introduced DPMS, an API for
DOS Protected Mode Services. It was a documented way for not just
TSRs, but multiple programs to run simultaneously/task-managed via
DPMI. But it still worked with most any programming/memory model
programs, except for things like VCPI.

- DR-DOS 7.x Can Replace MS-DOS 7.x In Windows 95/98

DR-DOS 7.x was modified so it could _completely_replace_ the MS-DOS
7.x subsystem in Windows 95/98. This eventually led to Caldera
re-opening a private lawsuit, originally started by Digital Research
(but before Novell's purchase of them), over "anti-competitive
behavior c/o illegal product bundling".

- Note on Windows 95/98 VCPI Compatibility

Again, Windows 95/98 are nothing more than MS-DOS 7.x and Windows
4.x bundled in one product (Windows ME is a horrendous/failed
experiment that ripped out some of the DOS interfaces, and
compatibility ;-). Windows 95/98 can drop down to "DOS Mode" (i.e.
no memory manager, possibly just "basic" HIMEM without DPMI and/or
XMS/EMS) for ring 0 access (so VCPI programs can run).

- DOSEmu on Linux, DPMI/XMS/EMS support

In Linux, DOSEmu itself provides the DPMI services, as well as
EMS/XMS. It's good enough that you _can_ run DR-DOS' DPMS
support/goodies, including the TaskMgr. But like any other memory
manager that forbids ring 0 access, VCPI and similiar programs won't
run.

- NT's NTVDM, WOW Sessions

In NT (Windows NT, 2000, XP), the NT Virtual DOS Machine (NTVDM)
also provides DPMI/XMS/EMS. Like Linux, ring 0 access is denied, so
no VCPI). Depending on the NT version/configuration/setup, 16-bit
Windows programs can run on a 16-bit Windows on 32-bit Windows (WOW)
session under a "shared" NTVDM session, or their own, protected
NTVDM session.
 
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