Kreshna Aryaguna Nurzaman wrote:
The problem is that it is virtually impossible to build a retro gaming PC that is optimal for various DOS games of different eras. A Pentium 100, for instance, is way too fast to run games like Origin's Wing Commander or Sierra's Code Name: Iceman (I still remember losing the sub battle over and over again since the game was just too fast for me to react).
The systems described above are of course too fast for old DOS games like King's Quest or Ultima Underworld (and mind you, Origin's games are notoriously clockspeed-dependent). Thus, you better use DOSBox for such games.
Keep in mind, a P2 would be perfect. Back then they were what today are the Dual Core and P4s There were "dosbox" programs but their only job was to stem processor excess. That was it. There was ZERO emulation. Simply weigh down the CPU so the gamespeed is realistic to the XT days.
varislo is one such utility
slowcpu is another.
There had to be at least 12 of them back then.
That is your best bet. I am using a P2 and a dual boot. W98 and True 6.21 Dos (the best version IMO) Setting it up was a chore with all the environment strings in config.sys and autoexec.bat but other than that, it's a great system and plays EVERYTHING I throw at it. In fact name a game and I will try it and see. (Obviously not a game beyond a P2 capability)
Oh and I forgot, if you have ANY GS compliant MIDI device then just get your favorite soundcard that works easily AND has a midi out port.
Let the game send the midi stream via midi cable to your external synth. It can be a keyboard, a racked sound module, mt32, etc. As long as if it's newer than an MT32 (or roland D5/10/110/20) that it is GS compliant. Also it must be multitimbral (hence a D-50 won't work) For about $200 (which kills me b/c I paid $1,300 for mine) you can get a Roland JV-1080 which is a very powerful 2U synth and would be like an MT32 on steroids. It would sound the same timbre wise but be WAY better quality. It would sound EXACTLY like a trumpet or piano, not sort of.
Finally...
CodeJunkie wrote:While building an old machine to play the games as they were is fun, but can be very frustrating for all the reasons everyone has already posted. I have tons of old harware that I have collected over the years and I built 4 486 boxes complete with NICs and setup a classic gaming network running IPX/SPX so friends and I could play Doom and Duke3D and what not. This was very fun indeed, but the space for it all was severely limited since I had these 4 huge computers, old ass monitors and keyboards AND all my new hardware cramped in one room.
Doom95!!! w00t (TCP/IP)