make a config file for dosbox
inside dosbox type
z:>config -writeconf c:\dosbox.conf
exit

edit tthe c:\dosbox.conf file

start dosbox with -conf c:\dosbox.conf

which things to change ?
the section sblaster
the section memory

and if it still crashes change warnings to 1
and report the error

Qbix

OK. I turned the errors on through the config file although I haven't messed with anything else yet as I wanted to give you the error message first.
In the Program window in dosbox, it says:

XMS (500 KByte) for C++ Overlay handling utilized
ONEFILE version

In the error message box, it reads:

Exit to error: CPU:GRP7:Illegal call 2

One of the beta testers discoverd an error in the xms code
but the game won't run for some time. It seems to be a protected mode game......

What's the error message with VDMSound?

It loads with VDMSound but the mouse is all screwed up. The cursor stays in one place and only flickers when I move the mouse. Dosbox doesn't run it as explained above (maybe protected mode game) and Mouseset, when used, gives me a not enough memory error. I've tried about everything I know. I'd be happy just playing without sound if it wasn't for that dang mouse problem. BTW, I had the same problem with the first Arkania and I ran it in DosBox and it fixed the mouse problem so I suspect its the protected mode thing. Also, I posted on the Dosbox forums and someone said the error points to it being a protected game. I'm posting here to see if there are any other alternatives.

Just a little note of weirdness:
Found a site that recommended limiting XMS memory to 16MB may when running Realms of Arkania II: Star Trail.

You have problems running Star Trail on machines with 32MB memory or more.

and then they recommended an XMS "memory eating" utility, which you don't need in Windows. 😀

I doubt this would affect the mouse, but be sure to alter it in your application properties (easy to do, if you use VDMSound Launchpad)

You're not the only one with this problem:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/realmsofarkania/message/487
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/realmsofarkania/message/488

If you want to ask Sixela if they have a solution, his/her website is here: http://www.geocities.com/sixelamusic/

The only problem from too much memory, as I recall, was the bug that replaced your character's faces with those of children.

In any case, we know DosBox is a dead-end until it can support protected mode (a long, long, time from now).

Nicht Sehr Gut wrote:

The only problem from too much memory, as I recall, was the bug that replaced your character's faces with those of children.

There's a patch for that at http://www.patches-scrolls.de

I'm starting to think this one will require running under Virtual PC (http://www.connectix.com) as I have no clue how to fix the mouse issues, and I doubt Vlad knows either.

I couldn't get the sixelamusic link to work.

Anyway, I tried the VDSound Launcher like you suggested and the mouse still does the same thing. So apparantly it isn't a memory or sound card issue. If you want to try to see if you (or Vlad) has any luck with it, I downloaded it from classic-trash.com. The direct link is http://www.classic-trash.com/gameinfo.php?id=199

I searched their forums and people only seemed to be having problems with memory and sound so it sounds like they weren't even getting far enough to encounter the mouse problem. However, someone in Yahoo forums reported the same problems with an Intellipoint optical mouse. I have a normal microsoft mouse (roller ball) but I believe it uses the same driver (Intellimouse 4). So that might narrow down the problem. I understand if you don't want to take the time to download and mess with it but if you do and get it to work, perhaps comparing our systems can answer this mystery. Thanks.

Well, I think I'm finally getting somewhere. But not quite. I downloaded a Dos mouse driver and put a "lh" command in the autoexec section of the program icon. Now, I can tell that it is indeed trying to load the mouse driver when I run the game, except before it starts it gives me an error -

The system cannot open COM3 port requested by the application

I didn't think there was a COM3. The mouse is a PS/2 mouse and seems to work on all other dos games. It's like it is skipping COM1 and 2 and whatever is connected to those and looking for COM3. I looked in the device manager and couldn't tell how to tell what was connected to each COM port or how to change the mouse to it. Any more ideas?

I don't care about the sound at this point, just getting the mouse to work.

You can just load a dos mouse driver in win2000 and hope it will somehow mysteriously work since win2000 takes control of the mouse. And since you don't have a com3 installed windows sees the mouse driver testing it and puts up some warning.

Perhaps someone should write a new mouse vdd for windows sometime too if their bored, the standard win2k one seems a bit screwed 😀

So is there a way to add a COM3 in Win2k? Or is there a way to assign the dos mouse driver to com1 or 2? Or am I just out of luck? It's weird because about 20 other dos games I've tried in Win2000 work fine with the mouse and sound through VDMSound, dosbox, or just by themselves.

Originally posted by tomservo6 So is there a way to add a COM3 in Win2k? Or is there a way to assign the dos mouse driver to com1 or 2?

You missed the point: DON'T LOAD DOS DRIVERS IN AN NT OS. The driver is for DOS, and there is no DOS in NT/2000/XP.

Is your mouse completely frozen? Or just very slow and unresponsive? Most people experience the latter (including myself).

It's weird because about 20 other dos games I've tried in Win2000 work fine with the mouse and sound through VDMSound, DosBox, or just by themselves.

Welcome to XP. Some titles will work just as well, possibly better in XP. Others are completely inoperable. You can classify this one as "Doesn't like NT".

I'm putting this one on my list of "Reasons to set up a Dual-Boot".

When I try to load the game by itself in Win2000, when I move my mouse the cursor just fickers and every once in awhile jumps to another area of the screen. I put the dos driver in a seperate autoexec as part of a dos shortcut for the program, like you would for sound card settings, etc. That is when it gives me the com3 error. I don't really want to reconfigure my whole computer by having a dual boot system just for one game. I just am trying to find a way to get the mouse working. Maybe I'll just have to wait until Dosbox supports protected mode.

Originally posted by tomservo6 When I try to load the game by itself in Win2000, when I move my mouse the cursor just fickers and every once in awhile jumps to another area of the screen.

Yep, that sounds about right. Even if you choose PC-Speaker only, you get the same response (IOW, it's not a sound-related issue).

I put the dos driver in a seperate autoexec as part of a dos shortcut for the program, like you would for sound card settings, etc. That is when it gives me the com3 error.

None of that matters. You are running on an NT OS, you have no DOS. The best that you can hope for is that you won't cause new trouble by loading the driver. DOS drivers are useless in NT.

If you are running a DOS emulation program, you might be able to use these tools, but don't count on it. For example, there is no point trying to load a mouse driver in DosBox.

I don't really want to reconfigure my whole computer by having a dual boot system just for one game. I just am trying to find a way to get the mouse working.

Don't be surprised if you come across others that have problems like this (or worse). There a number of titles that simply will not run properly on a NT OS. I can actually play it on mine, it's just intensely annoying waiting for the mouse (and sometimes the keyboard) to respond.

You can wait for protected mode in DosBox, just be aware that may be a loong time.

You're not trying to run this in a window, are you? heh

No, I'm not playing in a window. CURSE THIS OS!!!! I'm surprised there isn't a real solid emulator out there (that is free) for dos such as there is for console systems. I guess it's a lot more complicated though.

Hey, I did figure out one little thing. I started the game and started pressing all of the keys to see if there is a keyboard shortcut for everything. So far, I think I can access all of the choices without the mouse. I haven't done any combat yet, so I'm not sure. If anyone has played this game, do you know if you can in fact play without the mouse or know where you can get a manual online to find that out?

Originally posted by tomservo6 I'm surprised there isn't a real solid emulator out there (that is free) for dos such as there is for console systems. I guess it's a lot more complicated though.

It is. The closest thing really would be Virtual PC. Of course, that's about $230 and it still doesn't behave properly (mouse moves properly, but had some other bizarre issues).

This is why I let my XP setup a dual-boot when I installed it. I knew there were going to be titles that behaved like this.