Maybe you can post the full contents of the (executed and called)
batch files.
Also try with xms and ems disabled.

(Old topic, but...) Hmm strange. I have it running perfectly, almost.

The intro sound is missing and the game behaves weird in the island in-betweens (it seems to go on a short coffee break each time), but all gameplay plus (importantly enough) game load/save seems to run perfectly.

I did a full install on to C:\FG\ and the dosbox conf looks like this:

1fullscreen=true
2fulldouble=false
3fullresolution=original
4windowresolution=original
5output=surface
6autolock=true
7sensitivity=100
8waitonerror=true
9priority=higher,normal
10mapperfile=mapper.txt
11usescancodes=true
12
13[dosbox]
14machine=vga
15captures=capture
16memsize=16
17
18[render]
19frameskip=0
20aspect=false
21scaler=normal2x
22
23[cpu]
24core=normal
25cycles=3000
26cycleup=500
27cycledown=20
28
29[mixer]
30nosound=false
31rate=22050
32blocksize=2048
33prebuffer=10
34
35[midi]
36mpu401=intelligent
37device=default
38config=
39
40[sblaster]
41sbtype=sb16
42sbbase=220
43irq=7
44dma=1
45hdma=5
46mixer=true
47oplmode=auto
48oplrate=22050
49
50[gus]
51gus=true
52gusrate=22050
53gusbase=240
54irq1=5
55irq2=5
56dma1=3
57dma2=3
58ultradir=C:\ULTRASND
59
60[speaker]

61pcspeaker=true
62pcrate=22050
63tandy=auto
64tandyrate=22050
65disney=true
66
67[bios]
68joysticktype=2axis
69
70[serial]
71serial1=dummy
72serial2=dummy
73serial3=disabled
74serial4=disabled
75
76[dos]
77xms=true
78ems=true
79umb=true
80
81[ipx]
82ipx=false
83
84[autoexec]
85mount C "C:\FG\"
86mount D "G:\" -t cdrom
87c:
88cd \FG

It's pretty much default except for the fullscreen and the autoexec commands. It doesn't launch the game - first time it's run, you should run the sound setup first, choose Soundblaster and Autoconfigure, and save that. Then run the game with fg.bat - works for me.
Change drive G: there in last mount to your CD drive.

(Hardware is an Abit IntelP4 775 mobo with Realtec AC'97 5-ch sound, nvidia as-small-as-they-come pci-e gfx, and an original Fantasy General CD if this could make a difference)

Just as weird, the missing intro music & storytale actually works if I just run it in an XP cmd box. That is, however, all that happens - I can't even find the running process for it, it just plays the sound and... disappears.

Is it a Cd game or a ripped game?

CD game (fully original) as stated. 😀

It will be a ripped version when I figure out what software to use; the cd's so scratched that the music doesn't even play so I need something to rip it over and over until it gets it right I guess.

Real shame; part of this games appeal is the way cool choir music.