Hmm ok I believe I need more help with getting Tomb Raider to run. I burnt the GOG.com CD as per my Video Tutorials and that worked wonderful. Game is working, so is Audio CD, INSTALL.EXE and SETUP.EXE.

Tried the patch but I'm getting an error regarding a missing DLL? I thought DLL is Windows stuff?

I'm also confused about environmental variables and what they do. Are they also needed for Voodoo games? Is there something as a DOS Voodoo driver you installed with your card? I had one, but simply can't remember anymore.

Do you have Windows installed with the Voodoo 2 drivers?

It is probably searching for the glide2x.ovl file in your Windows directory if you are using the Voodoo Rush patch as Tomb Raider does not come with its own file. Try copying this file to the Tomb Raider directory (it is attached in the Archimedean Dynasty patch) or download the Voodoo patch which uses a static link (environment variables is then required). Environment variables is only needed for the games listed in the matrix (primarily static linked ones, with Screamer 2 as the exception)

It's a pure MS-DOS 7.1 installation. I will try your suggestion tomorow 😀

Now I'm just wondering what is needed with a Voodoo 1? Just patch the game and it "just works". Did the Voodoo come with any sort of DOS drivers or configuration utilities?

I will definitely muck around a bit but really feel like just getting a Voodoo 1. I like things that "just work" 😀

PS:

- My P100 struggles with software render in SVGA. Even VGA doesn't seem "super smooth"
- The Sound Blaster samples sound quite "scratchy" with plenty of noise in it. The same happens in DOSBox, so the recordings must be quite poor.

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

It's a pure MS-DOS 7.1 installation. I will try your suggestion tomorow 😀

Now I'm just wondering what is needed with a Voodoo 1? Just patch the game and it "just works". Did the Voodoo come with any sort of DOS drivers or configuration utilities?

I will definitely muck around a bit but really feel like just getting a Voodoo 1. I like things that "just work" 😀

The problems you are encountering now with dynamically linked games/patches will be the same with the Voodoo 1. The cards were designed to run along Windows which does not create this issue. Games that run on dynamic links require glide2x.ovl to be available either in the game folder or in the Windows directory. The few static linked games run directly on the Voodoo 1, but require environment variables to be loaded either in a batch file or in autoexec.bat for the Voodoo 2.

As far as I know no DOS drivers or utilities were released (atleast officially), If you want to control gamma, refreshrates and such in DOS you have to use environment variables for both Voodoo 1 and 2.

To run any dynamically linked DOS glide game in pure DOS - you just need glide2x.ovl in any %PATH% directory or in the game directory.

Voodoo drivers are pkzip self-extracting archives and may be easy unpacked even in the pure DOS. So - just grab glide2x.ovl from a drivers file and copy it to the PATH included directory.

Statically linked DOS glide games don't need anything, except compatible hardware. Voodoo1 or Voodoo2 with several environment variables.

And yes, there is no DOS Voodoo2 controls except through environment variables.

Ok I see. I do believe I had Windows running on my PC as a kid. So basically what you set in the Windows driver (refresh rates, colours, gamma) gets stored in environment variables and then used by DOS games that use dynamic links?

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Ok I see. I do believe I had Windows running on my PC as a kid. So basically what you set in the Windows driver (refresh rates, colours, gamma) gets stored in environment variables and then used by DOS games that use dynamic links?

If you run from pure DOS then no, windows settings will not affect anything. If you run from a DOSBOX within Windows then I am actually unsure. Will need to test.

You can also do stuff like this: Source

batracio wrote:

Looks like a gamma issue. Copy and paste these commands to a text file: […]
Show full quote

Looks like a gamma issue. Copy and paste these commands to a text file:

SET SST_RGAMMA=%1
SET SST_GGAMMA=%1
SET SST_BGAMMA=%1

Save it as GAMMA.BAT to some folder in your path. Now try different gamma values from 1 to 2 before running the game, that is:

C:\TOMBRAID>GAMMA 1.3
C:\TOMBRAID>TOMB3DFX

or

C:\TOMBRAID>GAMMA 1.7
C:\TOMBRAID>TOMB3DFX

and so on. When you find the right gamma, you can add the commands to AUTOEXEC.BAT with the actual value instead of %1.

EDIT: Voodoo1 variables for GAMMA do work with Voodoo2 in statically linked games. Global GAMMA variables does not work in these DOS games. R-G-B variables are required as seen in quoted post.

Err... Correct variables are SSTV2_GAMMA, SSTV2_BGAMMA, SSTV2_GGAMMA and SSTV2_RGAMMA for Voodoo2.
And you don't need 3 variables, just edit the global gamma with SSTV2_GAMMA=%1.

SSTV2_SCREENREFRESH and SSTV2_REFRESH_640x480 (and all other modes, like SSTV2_REFRESH_1024x768) can be used to set a refresh rate.

Gamecollector wrote:

Err... Correct variables are SSTV2_GAMMA, SSTV2_BGAMMA, SSTV2_GGAMMA and SSTV2_RGAMMA for Voodoo2.
And you don't need 3 variables, just edit the global gamma with SSTV2_GAMMA=%1.

SSTV2_SCREENREFRESH and SSTV2_REFRESH_640x480 (and all other modes, like SSTV2_REFRESH_1024x768) can be used to set a refresh rate.

Not entirely correct after some testing with a real Voodoo 2:

Static linked games:
You do need three variables, (RGB) for GAMMA for these DOS games. On the Voodoo2 both global variables SST_GAMMA and SSTV2_GAMMA do not work. Voodoo1 variables (SST_RGAMMA, SST_GGAMMA, SST_BGAMMA) are the only ones that work.

SST_SCREENREFRESH: Working
SSTV2_SCREENREFRESH: Not working

Dynamic linked games:
SST_GAMMA: Not working
SSTV2_GAMMA: Working

SST_SCREENREFRESH: Not working
SSTV2_SCREENREFRESH: Not working
SSTV2_REFRESH_640x480: Working (if resolution is 640x480 ofc)

robertmo wrote:

don't think so, but it wasn't running on voodoo2 if that is what you ask 😉

Did you actually enter gameplay? On a Voodoo 3 I get further than on the Voodoo2 (main menu), but the moment I try to enter a new game the game crashes.

Tie Break Tennis do run on the Voodoo3, but is missing textures. I will test further here.

It seems these two games are also made to work with the Voodoo Rush. I think the game recognizes the V3 as a Rush type card (which it sort of is in a very upgraded form) and that is how it is can run.

Theoretically Voodoo3/4/5 are working with ALL dynamically linked DOS glide games.

Seeing the issues with Tie Break Tennis and Dreams Of Reality and also reading on the internet with all kind of problems people are having with the Voodoo 3 and 5 with Glide DOS games I start to believe this is not true in practice.

Archimedean Dynasty didn't work with neither glide2x.ovl files on V5. No Voodoo card detected.

Are all of those patches (besides D2_3DFX) official?

d1stortion wrote:

Archimedean Dynasty didn't work with neither glide2x.ovl files on V5. No Voodoo card detected.

Are all of those patches (besides D2_3DFX) official?

Which Glide2x.ovl version you are using have something to say in this game, atleast on the Voodoo2. Here is a post from Falconfly.de (I've included version 2.50 - RC2 in the Voodoo2 patch files in the first post)

I cycled through a number of 3dfx Reference Driver releases this morning, and here are my results: […]
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I cycled through a number of 3dfx Reference Driver releases this morning, and here are my results:

v2-w9x-1.02.50.exe (Glide 2.50) - This seems to work well. The new keyboard commands described in the AD 3dfx README.TXT file seem to work (Bilinear interpolation (Shift-F1) and the Gamma Correction (Shift-F3) have an obvious effect, although Dithering (Shift-F2) does not).

v2-w9x-1.02.51.exe (Glide 2.51) - Same results as Glide 2.50, seems to work properly.

v2-w9x-1.03.00.exe (Glide 2.53) - The game still runs in 3dfx mode and looks correct, but the Gamma Correction (Shift-F3) no longer works.

v2-w9x-3.01.00.exe (Glide 2.54) - Game exits to desktop with no error message once the Instant Action is supposed to begin.

v2-w9x-3.02.02.exe (Glide 2.56) - Same as Glide 2.54, exits to desktop with no message.

With this Creative Labs 3D Blaster Model 3DB6670, I don't have to use any environment commands as you apparently had to. So it looks like Glide 2.50 or 2.51 are the magic numbers. I am glad you got it to work.

Maybe it can get to work with testing several V5's glide2x.ovl. I'll get around to it when I'm done with the Voodoo3.

All patches are official as far as I know (except the one you mentioned).

vetz wrote:

Did you actually enter gameplay? On a Voodoo 3 I get further than on the Voodoo2 (main menu), but the moment I try to enter a new game the game crashes.

I am sure it was working (on PIII450) as i was trying to figure out reason for blinking text. (too fast cpu btw).

I''ll give it a go with my 440BX machine as well then. I've already tested it on two different machines (Socket 7 430VX and Socket 7 MVP3) with two different Voodoo 3 cards. Both crashed the same way. Haven't tested all Glide2x.ovl versions, but the main ones (including the recommended one for compatibility in BC3K) give the same result.

Current Voodoo 3 test results (NOT FINAL!):

robertmo wrote:

I am sure it was working (on PIII450) as i was trying to figure out reason for blinking text. (too fast cpu btw).

Got Dreams to Reality working as well on my 440BX system. Really strange that it crashes on all my Socket 7 systems, but works on this system.

I guess it can be updated as running, but with a comment that it is very picky about the system.

don't remember shadow warrior but try installing the game again as it does some texture caching.

robertmo wrote:

don't remember shadow warrior but try installing the game again as it does some texture caching.

Haven't found one post on the internet with someone saying that it works on their Voodoo 3. What people are reporting is the same issues as I have.

I'll try re installing it though.

Thanks for the thread Vetz. I'm going to try out the EF2000.bat as it seems like a much more elegant and targeted way of setting required V2 environmental variables than dropping them in the main autoexec.bat. like I used to do. I was never happy throttling the V2 for *every* game just so I could run EF and ended up moving EF back to my V1 box. This should work nicely. Thanks.

vetz wrote:

robertmo wrote:

I am sure it was working (on PIII450) as i was trying to figure out reason for blinking text. (too fast cpu btw).

Got Dreams to Reality working as well on my 440BX system. Really strange that it crashes on all my Socket 7 systems, but works on this system.

I guess it can be updated as running, but with a comment that it is very picky about the system.

I actually found a copy of Dreams to Reality at a thrift store today, the original discs. I scored it for $0.65 😄

Besides that I tried installing it on my "retro gaming computer", AMD Slot-A 800 Mhz Athlon, 768 Mb Ram, Voodoo3 3000 AGP card. I have it running Win98se with the last published stable voodoo3 drivers from falconfly's site.

First I wanted to thank you for having the 3dfx patched exe for Descent2 online. I've owned the retail copy of Descent2 for years and all these years I've always wanted to see the voodoo version. Finally I can enjoy it.

EDIT: I found the voodoo patched file for D-T-R, I'll try it and write back.