brostenen wrote:

Am I perhaps talking about the wrong game? The one I saw the manual for, is the game in this google search: […]
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Am I perhaps talking about the wrong game?
The one I saw the manual for, is the game in this google search:

https://www.google.dk/search?q=dos+game+alien … iw=1366&bih=631

The page in the manual I am talking about, is from and including page 78.
The section is called "technical support".

I provided a link to the manual in an earlier reply. It is the same game.

I read that section, as near as I can tell. I saw no mention of blank screens.
As for Univbe- there's a VVESA.COM on the driver disk for this video card. Changed nothing.

what happens if you take everything out of your config.sys and auto exec except your emm386?

still ded.
I need CD drivers at least- since it's a CD based gaem and whines about it at launch if the CD isn't in.

it wouldn't hurt to try the actual univbe even though you've already tried vvesa.com. I recall that EA included a lite version with a lot of their games (USNF, Cybermage, Need for Speed, Crusader No Remorse), , and it seems Sim City 2k came with one licensed to Maxis. If you want, I can attach it here. I'm assuming it's okay to do that since it's a bundled copy.

Sure I'll try it, I doubt anything will change though, considering it worked on other computers without.
It also worked without mice there. I realize playing it without one is probably dumb- but I have no serial mice and GODDAMNIT JUST WHY DOESN'T IT WORK ;-;

Here's the one that was bundled with CyberMage. I think it's version 5.1a or something like that.

Could using a different CD-ROM driver/MSCDEX replacement (do those exist?) change anything? What would I even use?

UniVBE changed nothing.

Oh well. Worth a shot. I think you're last option is to find or buy another graphics card. Something Cirrus Logic will be very compatible and good performing. I use a CL GD5428 on my 486 and it is great. Best of luck.

WEll, time to dremel the RTC open on the one working Pentium board I have.
THE GODDAMN THING IS SOLDERED TO THE BOARD WHAT IS THIS.

Interestingly XCOM 1 (Ufo Defense) also doesn't work- it hangs in the /exact same manner/.
I think the games might be halting upon detection of no mouse. Weird that they give no error.

For those curious, I have identified it as an ASUS 486 board. No model number, apparently- since it was their first.
Not sure what the hell the two spaced-out ISA 8-bit looking slots are.

As seen here: http://img0104.psstatic.com/160524924_isa-486 … -intel-486-.jpg

Well, you're going to want a mouse anyway. It is such a useful part of the retro gaming experience. Tip: when I was looking for a mouse for my 486, I bought a new old stock serial mouse. Looked so cool, worked GREAT...except that the left button requires about 2x the pressing force as modern mice. I found my finger and palm became annoyingly sore. So I got a serial to PS2 adapter, but learned that most PS2 mice will not work. You need a PS2 mouse that is designed to be serial-compatible. I ended up with a Logitech Mouseman (the only PS2 I had that was serial-compatible). It's a great mouse and has feather light button presses.

edit: The original box requirements do say that a mouse is required:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Alien-Legacy-PC-1995- … CIAAOSw65FXtL7p

SRQ wrote:

Interestingly XCOM 1 (Ufo Defense) also doesn't work- it hangs in the /exact same manner/. I think the games might be halting up […]
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Interestingly XCOM 1 (Ufo Defense) also doesn't work- it hangs in the /exact same manner/.
I think the games might be halting upon detection of no mouse. Weird that they give no error.

For those curious, I have identified it as an ASUS 486 board. No model number, apparently- since it was their first.
Not sure what the hell the two spaced-out ISA 8-bit looking slots are.

As seen here: http://img0104.psstatic.com/160524924_isa-486 … -intel-486-.jpg

Those two spaced-out ISA 8bit slots are for a optional external expension memory board.. That board have more simm slots on it.

Why they did not added it to the motherboard is because of

1. space.

2. With the extra components normally the motherboard would be very expensive to buy back in the day.. So when you needed more, you had to paid more. So they placed the extra simm sockets, circuitry on a separate expansion board that would hold the rest of it. Also the memory board would give you more memory options.. So instead of 1MB, 4MB, 8MB, 16MB you could also using 2MB, 3MB, 5MB, 6MB , 7MB and so on.
The first ISA slot is for interfacing the motherboard.. The back slot is connected with the Simm slots on the motherboard to the simm slots on the expansion board (same idea like VLB connector, that the graphics card could communicate with the system bus / processor. But the back slot communicates with all the memory banks on both sides.

3. Lower price for the motherboard without the extra, with it would only raise up the selling price.