In March, during Lockdown and isolation, I fancied playing Descent II again and reminiscing about networking it in the 90s with then friends.
But, my Descent II CD was v1.1 and Descent LOTW 1.4a. So, I did some searching for the patches. And in that, came across a post of yours stating how 6/10 of your CDs were unpatchable. I also found the D1LOTW to not like the patches and the levels buggy and the CDs a rushed out unpatchable mess.
Which is a shame because it’s a great game series. In addition to that, if you use the DXX-Rebirth series, you are using data from buggy CDs.
So, I wondered, if it would be easy to fix Descent to v1.5 and make a new CD? The set that should have been? The set Interplay had not the time to check and double check and be pedantic over?
So, I located an ISO of Descent v1.0 and began again...
What was initially to be an experiment to make a Descent v1.5 CD has evolved into a very time taken (many days) rebuilding everything. I started over. I found a way to rebuild Descent II - had a brainwave. All not possible in the 1990s...
I now have finally (after much correction) 3x Discs...
CD1 - Descent v1.5: LOTWF and Descent II v1.2. Plus a VERTIGO+.SOW.
CD2 - Descent II v1.2: LOTWF/VERTIGO+.SOW and Descent v1.5.
DVD3 - DXX-Rebirth (using data from
CD1 and CD2).
All discs compliment each other.
CD2 has the Descent 2 tracks replaced with Vertigo tracks. So in DOSBox 0.74-3 you can now play any of these tracks during the game. My enhanced versions install fixed versions of the ‘Winning’ Interplay LOTW levels and a couple I liked the look of.
My DOSBox install has been rewritten a couple of times. Few issues there. I started again as the initial config size caused problems. It was too clever...
So, this now all looks super. The configs both have a switch (change a goto line) so that you can choose the install type. You can have the whole experience of installing updated 1990s discs... I have been very OCD here...
I’ve also tried to make the discs work well in pure DOS. Basically some scripts on the CDs. I’m sadly not an exe programmer! Novice.
The Vertigo+/LOTW2 only works on this version. On Descent v1.2 only, levels won’t install. A couple seemed to prefer the Vertigo v1.2 exe.
All levels have tidy msn/mn2 so they view nice under DOS and added the author to each where I know. So credited as best as I can.
Emails are very likely dated now and a lot of junk texts I don’t care for. I did what I wanted... So they’re gone.
Install and Setup are the same files but work differently depending how used. So taken latest builds of these and (sorry) hex edited the v1.4a and v1.1 to say v1.5 and v1.2. These were not upgraded. I’ve also altered the end messages to match Descent II v1.2 and Vertigo+. I’ve tweaked Verite message to match the batch info I made.
I cannot find a v1.2 exe so that stays as is for cosmetic. Not needed. 3Dfx patches are on the CD now....
Possible with either build but no Vertigo... I’ve made a SOW installer.
I’ve removed all the demo junk in Descent v1.4a: Buggy LOTW. Turns out an exe runs before the old setup.exe, so just needed part 2.
I’ve removed all the dated ereg stuff - horrible annoyance. Gone forever!!! You would just buy the download now.
Stops install, play to be a nuisance nag. Easy to remove line in bat and the exes there...
So all that remains is what to do with it. I don’t care about financial gain (although be nice), I just want the games to be in a buggy-less form.
I’ve date stamped all the files with 25/12/2020 14:00. One because almost my birthday albeit five minutes. Two it’s Christmas!!! 😀. Maybe time for Parallax to release it?
So, now I hope Parallax will do something with it (emailed the current team) and I hope I won’t be the only one to enjoy it...
Again, I started this for me, but my motivation is to keep the game alive. Documented...
I guess Retromancave (YouTube) has been an influence too...
The Mole.