ericjmz wrote:

a quick one here...has Anyone gotten either Redneck Rampage,Suckin Grits o ROute #66,or both to work on a winxp system...WITHOUT dual booting to an older OS...?

If you don't mind giving up some things, sure you can.

(Presuming these games are already installed)
1st, you need to try getting them to run with the absolute minimum needed. Go into setup. Set both "Sound FX Card" and "Music Card" to "None" (Redneck games might not have the "Music Card" option). Go to screen setup and choose 320 x 200 (Normal Mode). (Note: The Redneck games normally don't use this mode as it is just too chunky and will warn you of that. Ignore the warning. You're testing here.)

Try this for each of the games. Try starting them up, make choices from game menus, start up a game, etc... The main thing you're looking for here is basic functionality without lockups. If that works,...

2nd, Go back to setup and choose a VESA video mode like 640x480 or 800x600. Copy NOLFB.COM (Ken Silvermans's VESA fix) to each of the game directories (or to a common OS path). Open a command prompt, go the game directory. Run NOLFB.COM, then run the game's executable. You should get back the same performance and responses as with 320x200. If that works...

(NOTE: NOLFB.COM dies the instant it's command prompt is closed. So don't just click it, then click the game. You can also create a batch file to do the same thing.)

3rd, Here it starts to get unpleasant. NT doesn't process audio like DOS...at all. Since you're on XP, you luck out as XP has a (primitive) built-in form of SoundBlaster emulation. (We'll get to VDMSound later...).
Go into the audio portion of setup and choose "Sound Blaster or Compatible" with these for the other settings:
------------------------------
Current Interrupt [ 5 ]
Current 8-bit DMA [ 1 ]
Current 16-bit DMA [ 5 ]
------------------------------
Choose 1 or 2 for the number of voices, Mono Sound, 8 or 11KHz Mixing Rate. Save your settings and run the game.

If it's working properly, you should have running BUILD games with sound on XP. Sounds terrible doesn't it? Try choosing General MIDI for your "Music Card" at port 330, that should use the OS's wavetable for music.

Now you need to install Vlad's VDMSound program.
VDMSound v2.04 at http://www.ece.mcgill.ca/~vromas/vd...load/index.html

Install it, then copy the files from the 2.04 Update zipfile at
http://vdmsound.sourceforge.net/files/
on top of the original files (wherever you installed them).

Then download and install the GUI Launcher VDMSLaunchPad.v1.0.0.7, also at :
http://vdmsound.sourceforge.net/files/

Also, change the Audio IRQ for each game to 7 (this is VDMSound's default).

Log off, Log on and you should be ready to go.

Test out your games with VDMSound. Gradually increase your audio setting to higher quality settings until they make a significant (negative) impact on the game, then move them back just a bit.

That should be it. While Ken has fixed the video problem, audio performance under XP is still consistently lower than DOS or Win9x, so don't expect good performance with all the audio settings maxed out.

Not so quick, eh?
Just be grateful you're trying this on XP and not Win2K.

Once everything's running smoothly, you can go into the .VLP file that VDMSound created for your game and adjust some properties like choosing the GS-Wavetable for MIDI music and turning on the CD-ROM compatibility option if needed.

P.S. If your computer's specifications are in your member profile. Say so and/or provide a link. (Yes, I found yours).

Translation:

For XP
1. Install Game
2. Install VDMSound and all of it's updates.
3. Setup Game with sound settings. Set to SB16 IRQ7 for SFX and General MIDI for Music
4. Set video to 1280X1024 (The highest res you'll be able to achieve with NOLFB)
5. Run game with VDMSound
6. Play Game.

2K
Same Procedure as XP except disable SFX.

*Note Audio quality may need to be decrease for optimal gameplay. For optimal Audio Quality play game in Real DOS. Don't expect a fix for a looooooooooooooooooooong time.

DosFreak wrote:

Translation:

That's the abbreviated version, yes. I prefer the more thorough version to "cover all the bases".

No prob. I like thorough but sometimes shorter is better. 😉

Thank you VERY MUCH for the help.

Here's where I'm stuck...sadly the beginning ...by the way,I HAVE successfully played old games with VDMSound,& Glidos...so I'm not totally lame...just partially.

1.basically stuck on the second step:

I Have installed games..no problem there...DiD choose no sound card (Redneck Rampage has no music choice)...did choose lowest 320x 200 setting...
game won't start...I get a window with the icon of the vdmsound launcher,a black -dos-like window whose title bar says "InactiveVDMS Launchpad-RR"..I had prior to posting this forum inquiry,installed vdmSound..& launchpad...but I followed your instructions & did NOTchoose to access it yet,but did what you said instead.

2.you did not mention it at this stage,but I did try changing compatibility mode (via windows) of the redneck rampage exec itself..to go with win95 compatibility,& disable visual themes...no combination of enabled or disabled helped.

3.tried removing both vdmsound & VDMSoundLaunchpad,& doing the above again (as you wouldn't have had me add it at this early stage....still get the same error window (with the vdmslaunchpad icon)...same error,but instead of a window,all goes black,program closes,& left at my desktop.

4.For a lark,I installed another build engine game...Blood,in the form of the huge box compilation "On eUnit WHole Blood"...I took it thru the first steps (PIROR to Vesa video mode & VDMSound..all work great (at this stage) 😀)

So,I'll stop here,& get your thoughts...
you asked as to my setup,& then said you saw it on the forum page..so I won't blabber any more yet...

By the way,did YOU folks actually get it to work..? or were you just familiar enough with your instructions that you assumed it would work..I'm curious...?
take care

eric margolis,md
ericjmz@comcast.net

Redneck Rampage Rides Again works fine. Was playing it last night in NT4/2K/XP (without SFX in NT4/2K of course).

I was about to ask if your DPMI (DOSX) executable was enabled but you said that Blood worked....

Are you sure that your copy of the game isn't corrupt?

DosFreak..thanks again.
I believe you can run Rides again...a later program (which parentetically,I found to be the weakest of the Rednecks...though I did love that wamp glider-boat)..

but the crux of the problem remains..RedNeck Rampage

Also,parenthetically,not ONLY is this a 100% clean install,but I also tried it on a 95% similar Athlon computer...same issue.
I do NOT believe your abbreviated advice or Morpheus' long advice actually works...at least not for me,with 2 installs on 2 computers,at the earliest stages of your advice...
Correct...?

I am also still wondering...have either of you folks actually got Redneck Rampage Or Redneck-Suckin Grits on Route #66 to work on a winxp comoputer...
...or did you just assume it would,with your own familiarty of your workarounds...cause i really have no questions as to the later program Rides Again..

Also parenthetically...I musty be the only guy in the world who love Suckin Grits the best...I know some folks hated it..but I'll never forget that awesome Hoover damn level...when that dam filled with h20 to reach the other side...a quintessential gaming moment for me,akin to the first appearnace of the ethereal bridge at the end of the first Hexen hub...
see why i'm dying to replay these games...?
eric margolis
ericjmz@comcast.net

As far as the 2 other Redneck games. No I have not played either of them under NT.

As for the advice that Nicht and I have given does work fine for all Build games (Duke Nukem, Blood, Shadow Warrior, Redneck Rampage)

The ACT will not help in your case since you are using a DOS games. So don't bother with it. There are a few specific NTVDM fixes but nothing that will EVER help you get your DOS games working in 2K/XP.

Have you verified that your game isn't corrupt?
Does it work in 9x?

Could you try running the game at the command prompt and then running it so that you can see the error message (if so) that it may display?

ericjmz wrote:

...by the way,I HAVE successfully played old games with VDMSound,& Glidos...so I'm not totally lame...

We're not trying to play the "lEEt" card here, just uncertain as to your level of DOS command-line experience.

DiD choose no sound card (Redneck Rampage has no music choice)...did choose lowest 320x 200 setting...game won't start...

Buzz. THAT's a problem.

I get a window with the icon of the vdmsound launcher,a black -dos-like window whose title bar says "InactiveVDMS Launchpad-RR"...

Don't be using VDMSound just yet, move or delete the VLP shortcuts until you're ready for VDMSound.

Be sure to delete RAMPAGE.BAT and the .PIF file that was created for the RR.EXE (Some <all?> installers create a PIF file that forces a reboot into DOS mode). You want the RR.EXE running with nothing else. After that, trying running with NOLFB and a VESA video mode.

2.you did not mention it at this stage,but I did try changing compatibility mode "...

No, that's for Windows executables, not DOS programs.

3.tried removing both vdmsound & VDMSoundLaunchpad,...

Uninstalling VDMSound isn't necessary.

4.For a lark,I installed another build engine game...Blood,in the form of the huge box compilation "On eUnit WHole Blood"...I took it thru the first steps (PIROR to Vesa video mode & VDMSound..all work great ,...

This sounds suspiciously like a corrupted install. Try starting with a fresh install ("from scratch") of the Redneck series. Just watch out for the batch file and .PIF file that I mentioned earlier (they should be deleted).

By the way,did YOU folks actually get it to work..? or were you just familiar enough with your instructions that you assumed it would work..I'm curious...?

Yes, I've done it and it works. However, I prefer it's performance under DOS, so I'll continue to run it under Win9x until audio performance is improved for XP.

ericjmz wrote:

(which parentetically,I found to be the weakest of the Rednecks...though I did love that wamp glider-boat)..

Don't forget the motorcycle that you can use to run over the bad guys. Saves on ammo.

I do NOT believe your abbreviated advice or Morpheus' long advice actually works...at least not for me,

Who? You mean mine or maybe a list from some other board. (Posting while watching "The Matrix, Mayhap?)

I am also still wondering...have either of you folks actually got Redneck Rampage Or Redneck-Suckin Grits on Route #66 to work on a winxp comoputer...,

I'll give it another whirl...

...I musty be the only guy in the world who love Suckin Grits the best...I know some folks hated it..

I liked it. Have to get back to playing it again...someday.

... the first appearnace of the ethereal bridge at the end of the first Hexen hub...

You mean like the castle at the end of the swamp/waterfall. One of the most impressive visuals in a 2.5D game. I was lucky that I had switched to JHexen before that. Looks even better in "true" 3D.

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

I'll give it another whirl...

WOOF. I must've been thinking of BLOOD when I gave the "confirmed good" post as "Redneck Rampage" does indeed have problems that other BUILD games don't.

Here's what I've found:
320x200 mode doesn't work. I'm confused as that should be universally compatible. Only thing I can guess..that the 320x200 is a special "variant" (VESA, X-Mode, etc...).

Set up video for VESA 640x480. Ran with NOLFB.COM in a batch file (you MUST run NOLFB.COM first). Strange, but it's better than the other way around.

Went back to setup and enabled bare minimum SoundBlaster audio. It works. Horribly, but it works.

Tried with VDMSound. Stunned to find that it's consistently locks up on the introductory animation. Tried tinkering with the settings.
This may only be an movie-animation problem. Need to tinker further when I get a chance...

Check the .CFG files. I almost always conf the game with the .CFG instead of the SETUP prog. That's how I figured out that BUILD games with NOLFB hack were capable of 1200X1024. Went through each res above 800x600. Then I tested Scitech VBETEST and the highest listed RES with NOLFB was 1200. So it look's like that's where it's at. If ya want any more then your gonna have to boot into DOS.

DosFreak wrote:

Check the .CFG files.

Just did...

That's how I figured out that BUILD games with NOLFB hack were capable of 1200X1024.

When I tried to enter it manually into the CFG file, it dropped to 320x200 resolution. The same 320x200 that didn't work when I used setup (!?) In fact, that's the only way I can get 320x200 to work.

Tested "Redneck Rampage" and "BLOOD"; both go up to 1600x1200 without problems with NOLFB. Go figure.

The thing I find bizarre is how it locks up on the intro with VDMSound. I can't figure how to stop the animation from being played. One thing I remember is that video animation does not use the audio setting from the CFG file. I know this because I originally played it on a Gravis Ultrasound and it was always dead silent. The moment I started "SoundBlaster emulation" the audio played properly. I'm guessing that it's like some old DOS games that were "hard-coded" to the "original" SoundBlaster settings. Hrmm...

Not even sure what file is being played. Went back and changed the various settings in VDMSound; changing the IRQ to 5, etc...so as to match a basic SoundBlaster with default settings. No go.

I've hit a brick wall here...

Interesting...what vid card are you using? 9700 over here and limited to 1280X1024.

Can't held ya with the sound in the game since I don't have it.

DosFreak wrote:

Interesting...what vid card are you using?

GeForce3 Ti200

Hmm, is there *any* sound (effects, not music... unless the music is synthed/tracked) with VDMSound before the intro locks up? Can you guys get a .log file from VDMSound?
V.

vladr wrote:

Hmm, is there *any* sound

Nope, locks up on the first frame of the animated intro.

... unless the music is synthed/tracked) with VDMSound before the intro locks up?

No, the game supports CD-streamed music only (but that's only after you actually start the game).

Can you guys get a .log file from VDMSound?

Here's one I tried with IRQ5 and 7 (for both game and VDMSound). Only difference for IRQ 7 was that it had one less "HandleTransfer: DMA updates" message.

went back,after reading all that Nicht & dosfreak had to say...

when I last left off,got nowhere with redneck,but with Blood the initial steps of lowest mode fine with Blood.

I then went to step 2 with both games for the nolfb step..
let me quickly ask this question...so I know I'm using nolfb correctly.

I copy the nolfb to the (e.g.) blood main directory...the same one the exec lies in
I then use the run command,from the start menu to open nolfb

...when i first did that a window opened & closed in a fraction of a second..I right clicked nolf b,to prevent close on exit...changed nothing else...

I then used the same run command to open nolfb..now I get a window that stays open...the horizontal "title" bar of that window says [Inactive Nolfb.com]...

the first,& only line visible in the dos-like black nolfb window says only these words:
NOLFB by Ken Silverman (advsys.net/ken) 09/21/2002

with that window staying open,I then use the same run command to open blood.exe...IF i remain in the lowest non-vesa mode it works...if I choose ANY VESA mode higher i get a black dos like window that stays open saying [Inactive blood.exe]...mind you,thruout this the aforementioned nlofb window remains open..
So,any idea whats going wrong...?

ericjmz@comcast.net

ericjmz wrote:

I copy the nolfb to the (e.g.) blood main directory...the same one the exec lies in...

Correct. It would be best if the command were in a Windows PATH (IE:C\Windows\Command), but it'll work fine there.

I then use the run command,from the start menu to open nolfb...

No,no,no. Whatever "command line" you use, the instant the window closes, NOLFB is gone.

If you use the "RUN" option in the start menu, it will simply "run" that command. The window will only stay open long enough for the executable to finish, then automatically close itself.

If you want to use the command line for this, I think you'll find it under the "Accessories" sub-menu.

the first,& only line visible in the dos-like black nolfb window says only these words: NOLFB by Ken Silverman (advsys.net/ken) 09/21/2002

Not sure what's happening there, but apparently it's not staying in memory.

...with that window staying open,I then use the same run command to open blood.exe...

No you need the game executable and NOLFB on the same command line.

The easiest way to do this is to create a batch file within your game directory. Open notepad, paste these commands into notepad:
---------------
NOLFB.COM
BLOOD.EXE
---------------
(minus the dashes). Select "Save as...", then save the file with an easy-to-remember name (such as GO.BAT) Change the "Save as type" to "All Files *.*" then save it in the games directory.

You can do the same for the others (but with the proper name of the game executable, of course).