It is impossible to truly know what the "intended speed" was for many older games, unless perhaps the developers provided the exact specs of their development hardware. There was just too much variation in PC hardware at the time, unless perhaps you go all the way back to the ancient days of the 4.77 MHz IBM XT. People with different computers just wound up having different experiences. All you can do is select a speed that makes you happy.
In any case, even if you do know the exact specifications of the developers' hardware, DOSBox is not intended to be cycle-accurate.
GeneralX wrote on 2020-08-05, 18:18:Wouldn't different CPU cycles and consequently, different game speeds also affect IPX multiplayer?
If the game is programmed halfway-decently, the netcode will be able to accommodate for different players using different hardware.
GeneralX wrote on 2020-08-06, 23:32:I'm trying to run Warcraft: Orcs & Humans at 100%, no more, no less.
Considering it is one of the best-known PC games in history, I'm sure someone out there has analyzed the problem in-depth.