The included version of QuickTime in Bad Mojo and Myst also have issues in DOSBox, but updating to QT 2.1.2 (the latest version for Win 3.1x) is an easy solution for those games.

The Madness of Roland will also work with QT 2.1.2, but with some extra tweaking because it is fussy. Here's how I got it to work:

1) Install the game to C:\ROLAND, then make a backup copy of the file QTMOVIE.VBX
2) Install QuickTime 2.1.2, allowing it to remove the old QT files out of C:\ROLAND
3) Move the backup copy of QTMOVIE.VBX into C:\ROLAND

The game does not like the newer version of QTMOVIE.VBX, so the older version of that one file is placed in the game directory to be used by the game instead of the newer one in the Windows system folder. If you don't want (or forget) to make a backup of the older file, you can uncompress it from the CD with the EXPAND utility that is also on the CD.

When you run the game, it will complain about a missing file, but tell it to run anyway.

I copied QTMOVIE.VBX to my desktop then reinstalled Quick Time in DOSBox. After copying QTMOVIE.VBX back the game now says QCMC.QTC is missing and asks if I want to quit.

If I respond "No" it then says:
Can't load custom DLL:
'C:\ROLAND\FXIMG140.VBX'

Then quits with an unexpected error anyway.

When I respond "no" to that dialog, the game runs. Do you still have the VBX file it says is missing? It's not part of QuickTime, so it should still be in C:\ROLAND

Here is a shot of what C:\ROLAND should look like after it's been cleaned up by the QT installer (with the restored QTMOVIE.VBX file).

I have the same 14 files.

If you have installed the 2.1.2 version of QuickTime, and restored the QTMOVIE.VBX file correctly, I can only conjecture about the cause for this other error, as I don't run into it. What sort of video driver are you using?

After telling the game to run anyway at the missing file dialog, a short intro movie plays, the title is displayed, and then you're at the main game interface. So don't be discouraged; as you can see, it is possible to get the game running.

The S3 driver from the Windows 3.1x on Dosbox guide.

I usually use a different driver with a 1997 release date, but it works with that driver as well. Are you using 640x480 256 colors?

*sigh*

DOSBox 0.74
output=ddraw
Installed Windows for Workgroups 3.11
Installed Soundblaster driver from guide
Installed S3 graphics driver from guide
S3 864 1.41B5 640x480 256 colors
Installed Roland
copied ROLAND\QTMOVIE.VBX
Installed Quick Time 2.1.2 from your link
Restored ROLAND\QTMOVIE.VBX

Unexpected error.

If you haven't tried it already, use all default settings in DOSBox; the easy way to do this is by running with no .conf file.

When you install QT 2.1.2, do you get a dialog like the screenshot referencing C:\ROLAND and then choose "Delete"?

I don't think it's likely that you have a different version of the game, but if you'd like to check you can use WinZip or WinRAR or such to archive the *entire* contents of C:\ROLAND after you're finished installing everything and restoring QTMOVIE.VBX, then post a screenshot with the sizes and CRC-32s of the files for comparison.

Used "Reset Options", conf settings don't appear to make a difference.
Yes, I got that dialog and selected delete.

If you're not going to post a list of the sizes and CRC-32s of *all* the files you have in C:\ROLAND after following the steps, for comparison, I don't know what else could be different.

Okay, got the CRC32s using WinRAR.

Well, this was at least a productive exercise. You have a bunch of files truncated to zero length, which can't be good. See my attachment for comparison.

The files on the CD are compressed, with names changed so the last character of the extension is an underscore. Check the sizes of the files on the CD, and if they look OK, you can use the EXPAND.EXE utility (also on the CD) to decompress manually. For example:

C:\ROLAND>D:EXPAND D:QTMOVIE.VB_ QTMOVIE.VBX

While trying that command I kept getting "Could not open source file" which would explain why the files were 0 bytes. Figuring the ISO image I had made was at fault I used the original disc. Now when I start Roland I get the Hyperbole logo and a green background from your pic, however it says "Could not create movie controller". After which it exits.

To see what would happen I tried again after reinstalling Quicktime. Roland asks about the missing QCMC.QTC then complains that "The file 'C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QTMOVIE.VBX' is out of date. This program requires a newer version." Didn't I just replace it with the newer version?

I then restored C:\ROLAND\QTMOVIE.VBX and it starts up fine now. Yet it's still temperamental. When I exit the game it says "ROLGUTS has caused a general protection fault". Also if I click the question mark it says "Not a valid movie" then closes with the same ROLGUTS message. If I try to run it again after that the DOSBox window closes.

Thanks for your help. At least it behaves enough to be playable.

ripsaw8080 wrote on 2010-10-30, 20:11:

1) Install the game to C:\ROLAND, then make a backup copy of the file QTMOVIE.VBX
2) Install QuickTime 2.1.2, allowing it to remove the old QT files out of C:\ROLAND
3) Move the backup copy of QTMOVIE.VBX into C:\ROLAND.

Thanks for this solution!
I have the same problem with other games based on QuickTime 1.1.1 - "American Revolution", "Discover the World II" and "Hannibal's Heroes" (all by Entrex Software).

However, with this solution I can only run a game (with the videos) once for some reason 🙁 After exiting the game there is an error - and it no longer launches. Even freezes the whole system.

That error does not happen without QuickTime 2 (there are just no videos then), and everything is fine on real old PC with Windows 3.11 or in emulators like VirtualPC and 86box.

By the way, I have the same problem with "Roland" as well!
That is, the game plays fine with videos (in Windows 3.11@DOSBox with QuickTime 2.1.1 installed and all QuickTime files except QTMOVIE.VBX removed from the game folder), but when exiting the game gives an error. If I try to run it again, DOSBox crashes.
Luckily, on next launch everything is fine! Until I exit the game again, of course.

It is interesting that the official site of "Madness of Roland" still exists - and there is an instruction for launching the game with QuickTime 2.x installed (in Windows 95/98, but should probably work in 3.11 as well):

1. Right-click on "The Madness of Roland" icon in your "The Madness of Roland" program group. Select "Properties" from the drop down menu. Click the "Shortcut" tab. Change "Target" from C:\ROLAND\ROLAND.EXE to C:\ROLAND\ROLGUTS.EXE (if you installed Roland to somewhere other than C:\ROLAND, precede ROLGUTS.EXE with the appropriate path). Click the OK button.

2. Restart your computer.

3. Delete the following files from the Roland directory on your hard drive: MCIQTENU.DLL, MCIQTW.DRV, PLAYENU.DLL, PLAYFRA.DLL, QTHNDLR.DLL, QTIM.DLL, QTIMCMGR.DLL, QTNOTIFY.EXE, QTOLE.DLL, QTVHDW.DLL, VIEWENU.DLL, VIEWFRA.DLL, and all files that end in ".QTC."

The Madness of Roland should now be setup to use QuickTime 2.x.

http://www.hyperbole.com/full/cs/qt2.html

Still, ripsaw8080's instruction about saving one file instead of deleting a whole bunch of them seems to be easier 😀