What do you mean by you don't have a sound card?

Also, try using the dynamic core and play with different output modes (overlay, ddraw, etc.).

I edited config file to use dynamic core, and then when I tried to launch the game bat file in dosbox, it gave me this error message:

"Error: Not enough strings in text file - expecting 621, found 0"

And, I guess I have a soundcard, I'm just not sure what the hell it is. How can I find out?

Doesn't matter what your sound card is, DOSBox emulates the sound card. Check your dosbox.conf or assume it's an SB16.

Wha...... I've changed core back to normal, and now I'm getting the same error message.

Sounds like a problem with either that file or some other aspect of either your DOSBox configuration or the way you're running it.

Can't remember the details but DosBox dynamic core is incompatible with DOS4GW in Descent. Either run the game in normal core and delete the file that was created when you ran in Dyanmic mode (check the date timestamp of the files in the descent directory and delete the 0byte latest file).....or use DOS32A instead of DOS4GW.

> dynamic core is incompatible with DOS4GW in Descent

It's about the way pagefaults are handled atm.

You know what guys, I think it's my computer that's making Descent run so slowly anyway. I shouldn't have wasted anyone's time. I have never managed to fix a single problem on this computer. I have huge pings on internet games, even some of the least demanding games run choppily, movies also run choppily, and I have gone to tons of forums to find solutions and nothing has worked. Damn Dell.

You should consider either getting a new computer (have someone make one from parts instead of buying pre-built) or putting another 256MB of RAM in that one, reformatting, and installing Windows XP SP2 from scratch with no Dell crap to load it down.

can't post the exe, so patch it yourself using dos32a
http://dos32a.sourceforge.net/
decompress in a directory, copy descentr.exe in that directory
run: sb /r descentr.exe and copy new exe back to descent dir.

Hiya,
Thought I'd chime in here. I'm a big fan of the Descent games, I'd suggest giving one of the Direct3D patches a try, since they run under 98/XP. It can take some work getting the 3D version running on XP, but there is also a native software non-3d enhanced version included in the patch that will let you run Descent 1 in software mode under Windows, looking exactly like it did in the past under DOS.

So either way, you can get Descent with screaming 3D graphics, or you can run it non-3D mode at 300x200, 640x680, or even higher so it will look just as you remember it. (Trust me, 3D mode's the way to go here, I loved Descent, but in 3D mode it's so smooth!).

You can download the Direct 3D patches for Descent 1 and 2 at:
http://www.planetdescent.com/

Again, remember that though this is a 3D enhanced version, there is also a seperate Non-3D enhanced EXE file that will let you play under Windows. So if what you're really trying to do is run it so it looks/feels just like it used to under Dos, you can. (I still say that's madness though, since it looks the same just far sharper and smoother in 3D mode, just my opinion!).

Good luck.
Idaho

DosFreak wrote:

Can't remember the details but DosBox dynamic core is incompatible with DOS4GW in Descent. Either run the game in normal core and delete the file that was created when you ran in Dyanmic mode (check the date timestamp of the files in the descent directory and delete the 0byte latest file).....or use DOS32A instead of DOS4GW.

Small update: Descent works fine out of the box with DOSBox 0.72 with no changes to core settings or the extender.
Config used:

1# Title:        Descent
2# Developer:    Parallax Software
3# Publisher:    Interplay Productions Limited
4# Year:         1995
5# Genre:        3D first-person shooter
6# Status:       Commercial license
7# Link1:        http://www.descent3.com/
8# Link2:        http://www.planetdescent.com/
9# DOSBox:       0.72
10#
11# By MiniMax
12
13[sdl]
14# Descent can be run using different resolutions. From the README-file:
15#
16# -320x100      Uses a low-res graphics mode good for full screen playing
17#               on slower computers.  A bit blocky, though.
18#
19# -320x240      Uses a little better resolution than normal for a crisper
20#               image. Uses ModeX page flipping to reduce "shearing."
21#
22# -320x400      Same as above, but much more resolution at the expense of
23#               speed.  Only recommended for P-90's and above!!
24#
25# -640x400      Killer high res.  Requires a VESA driver.
26#
27# -640x480      Super-killer high res.  Requires a VESA driver.
28#
29# DOSBox is capable of running Descent in the 640x480 resolution mode.
30# Using an output method like 'overlay' that supports hardware scaling to
31# window twice the resolution works nicely for me.
32
33output=overlay
34windowresolution=1280x960
35
36[render]
37scaler=none
38
39[gus]
40# The auto-detection in the Setup program defaults to the Gravis
41# Ultrasound device if present, but complains about a driver not
42# being loaded when testing music.
43
44gus=false
45
46[autoexec]
47@   echo off
48
49rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
50rem ! Mount the CD-drive and virtual harddisk.
51rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
52
53    mount C "C-drive"
54    mount D "D:" -t cdrom
55    echo.
56
57rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
58rem ! Are we ready to run the software, or do we need to install it
59rem ! first?
60rem +---------------------------------------------------------------

61
62    if exist C:\Games\Descent\DescentR.Exe      goto Ready
63
64:Install
65
66rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
67rem ! Install the software from the CD-drive using the supplied
68rem ! installer. The installer will also invoke the setup utility.
69rem !
70rem ! OBS: After installing you are forced to watch through a little
71rem !      trailer for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.
72rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
73
74    D:
75    cd \
76    echo Installing Descent.
77
78    Install
79
80rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
81rem ! Create a fake electronic registration card file indicating
82rem ! we do not want to register Descent by sending registration
83rem ! information by modem or by printing out and mailing the
84rem ! card.
85rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
86
87    echo [STAMP]                >  C:\Games\Descent\eRegCard.Ini
88    echo product=DESCENT        >> C:\Games\Descent\eRegCard.Ini
89    echo counts=0 1 0           >> C:\Games\Descent\eRegCard.Ini
90
91    echo Done!
92    echo.
93
94:Ready
95
96rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
97rem ! Switch to the harddisk, and inform the user about which
98rem ! command to use for running the software.
99rem +---------------------------------------------------------------
100
101    C:
102    cd \Games\Descent
103
104    echo Type SETUP            to configure sound and VR devices.
105    echo Type DESCENT -640x480 to start the game.
106    echo Type DESCENT -help    to show additional options.
107
108    goto Done
109
110:Done
111    echo.

Well...one should hope it works 3 years later 😀

hehe