BEEN_Nath_58 wrote on 2023-11-13, 11:09:

myne wrote on 2023-11-13, 11:07:

It freezes between the 2nd and 3rd waypoint of that mission

Checking in an hour. I am currently analysing the game's stability on WIn98. I replaced the custom heap with the Win9x one but the Contacts menu still freezes sometimes as earlier...thus I am trying to verify

I finished the mission (Nav Alpha to Drop ship). It worked in Win11 here...but I now got another error, that probably needs fixing.

More updates:

The hang at Contracts section is fixed using Compat/Limit RAM. Beware that using Limit RAM requires you to restart DxWnd, and so running a different app. There are other problems too it too, I reported it and nothing changed yet, so I will ask again sometime...

For the briefing case, it will take some time, the game isn't logging anything from the I/O. Now onto your mission problem again.

Yet another update:

I ran with MechVM version (installing Mercs Titanium) and Instant Action mission work there. Even that DLBS error post mission doesn't come up... I will need to figure how what is different in the release. In the CD release it doesn't work. I will see this part tomorrow...

Anyways if you want you can just install with MechVM, add admin privileges to DxWnd and use the same profile, it should work.

IGNORE ABOVE FEW POSTS

The game fixed the Instant Action and DBFS file problem after reinstallation, even that contracts bug...oof an installation bug then.

Try out my installer.
Reason being: if we work together, we can have a proper, idiot-proof "install pack" of sorts.
All I'd have to do is update the zip with your solution and we're done.
Then, less time figuring out whether it's a user-didn't-follow-the-steps-correctly error, or an actual error.

myne wrote on 2023-11-14, 03:02:

Try out my installer. Reason being: if we work together, we can have a proper, idiot-proof "install pack" of sorts. All I'd have […]
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Try out my installer.
Reason being: if we work together, we can have a proper, idiot-proof "install pack" of sorts.
All I'd have to do is update the zip with your solution and we're done.
Then, less time figuring out whether it's a user-didn't-follow-the-steps-correctly error, or an actual error.

I have a problem (I rarely used PS):

Ah, yeah. Powershell is like bash. It needs the .\ first.
Just press "t" and then tab.

Or, rightclick it and run

myne wrote on 2023-11-14, 06:59:

Ah, yeah. Powershell is like bash. It needs the .\ first.
Just press "t" and then tab.

Or, rightclick it and run

Okay I got it. After doing as you said, I was told that execution of scripts is restricted, so I first checked my policy with

1Get-ExecutionPolicy

Returns as restricted
Then I changed it to unrestricted using

1Set-ExecutionPolicy unrestricted

Would it be possible for the PS1 script to make it unrestricted (if it finds it restricted using the check), and then revert to what it was previously?

About the game, it runs great. I checked Instant Mission, as well as the Contract missions and they played correctly. I was able to go from Nav Alpha to Battleship without any hang or such.

Did you try the suggestions in GBL I asked...and also did the recharge bug correct at 50FPS?

I will ask Dege if he can implement a frame limited to dgVoodoo2

(additional ideas: it is also possible to make the CD audio run from the Hard disk as it offers lesser delay in track change; it is also possible to make a full installation of the game to the hard drive, requiring no CD to be inserted, without even using a crack)

I could write a .bat to call the PS1.
Unfortunately MS just had to make it difficult to run PS scripts, but gave a stupidly easy way to call it from a bat and make it less secure anyway.

Did you manage to get through that recon mission? Walk the waypoints?
I managed to get through the other campaign, but it crashes every time on that.
I'm wondering if my mission file is corrupt or something.

I didn't do anything with GBL. As long as I limit the FPS to 50 with nvidia control panel it runs perfectly as it was.
Haven't finished the game yet though. Got up to the underwater mission, so I don't really foresee any other issues.

As best I can tell, it IS a full install..?
I realise dxwnd can copy cd tracks into folders and emulate that if that's what you mean, but I think it still checks for the files so it wouldn't be a NOCD.
Unless there's something you know that I don't?

Here, change your exec policy back, and try this from the same folder (attached)

Well that'd be right.
"Found" another "backup"
Damn thing worked perfectly.
Straight through the mission no worries.

Looks like it was a corrupt file in my original backup.

You can use dgVoodoo2 to restrict the FPS to 50, 45.... You have to right click on the dgVoodoo2 window pane, and some option will come up that will add the no of tabs in dgVoodoo2. In the GeneralExt tab you should have a frame limiter (I am not on my comp right now so I can't check the specifics). If you can try, let me know if the recharge works with this.

About the noCD stuff...

Usually if you remove the CD media, the game would ask "You have to insert the MECHWARRIOR 2 CD...". What I proposed would run the game without the CD even inserted. It is possible using DxWnd's I/O FakeCD feature.

About the musics: the music can be extracted in .ogg/.wav/.flac/.mp3 and run with the CDAudio/Use audio files settings, with the files being named tracknm.fileextension (where nm≥02 in track order)

I will try the other script in a few hours

Right. Figured out dgvoodoo.
Will have to check it properly tomorrow.

Personally I don't see the cost/benefit of figuring out scripting ripping CD tracks to file/folders when an ISO does the trick. Mounting ISOs is even part of Windows now. Any idiot can figure that much out.

The real quality of life here is in:
Simple to install.
Works properly.
Looks as good as possible.

I think we're basically at that point.

The only other thing I'm contemplating adding in is the view distance patch someone made ages ago. I really can't think what else would make it perfect.

The question is how. If I do it with prepatched files the installer pack is close to 200mb. If I do it with their patcher, it has an annoying manual step I don't yet know how to automate so it's foolproof.

Fyi, If this thread is supporting a copyrighted game for download not sanctioned by whomever owns the rights then I'll have to close it.

DosFreak wrote on 2023-11-14, 12:26:

Fyi, If this thread is supporting a copyrighted game for download not sanctioned by whomever owns the rights then I'll have to close it.

I am sure MechWarrior 2 is an abandonware, and "TEACHING HOW TO ACCESS ABANDONWARES" is illegal for Vogons.

Since you used the term "thread" and not "last post", I am reviewing the things you could flag (other than the links some other users posted, that you removed and I can't control):

1) Personally I never linked to a game site or a way to get access to the game. The main post was just made to demonstrate how to run the game. Today, I have just demonstrated how, if you have the game, you can bypass the CD media check by patching (hooking) the game at runtime the way DxWnd does (patching in the CD file system information, files and structure to the game copied to the local drive). I cannot demonstrate users to download a game from a particular place, or buy from a particular seller on a site to make this work. This is to support @myne's work who is trying to create a patch of the sorts of "NFS High Stakes Expansion Pack".

2) He also mentioned about ISOs but didn't explain if he has downloaded it. When he mentioned backups, he didn't explain if "backups" are "archive site name" backups or personal multiple backups; but neither advocates to illegally get a game, nor did his content advocate for an illegal game.

3) The other thing the user mentioned is "pre-patched" files. I am confused of it's status on Vogons and I can't judge to this because there are still "noCD modern patches" of games linked publicly on Vogons. Those are like "taking the illegal route because there's no other choice". In this case I am not sure if the patched files gets to be in the same category, nor has been my idea.

For the original post, I only added links to what I own, to a patch from @myne and neither violates copyrighted law.

If there's something else, let me know. You could post clarity in your reply, what is not to be done rather than closing a thread.

myne wrote on 2023-11-14, 12:13:

The only other thing I'm contemplating adding in is the view distance patch someone made ages ago. I really can't think what else would make it perfect.

The question is how. If I do it with prepatched files the installer pack is close to 200mb. If I do it with their patcher, it has an annoying manual step I don't yet know how to automate so it's foolproof.

The "copy music and CD access to HDD" were some basic additions. The distance patch is a modding addition, and probably the "patched files" method will go against the rules of the forum.

Basically if this thread or posts within are supporting a patched ready to go download of the game's for download then it'll have to be closed or posts deleted. If this thread or posts within are supporting the ability to fix a copy or copies of the game's owned by the user for the usage they are allowed then we are good.....assuming files from the games aren't included with any downloads.

We would rather not have to decrypt posts for people attempting to skirt around the issue.....

Saying that it's a big internet so if this doesn't sit well well you know what to do.

DosFreak wrote on 2023-11-14, 17:37:

Basically if this thread or posts within are supporting a patched ready to go download of the game's for download then it'll have to be closed or posts deleted. If this thread or posts within are supporting the ability to fix a copy or copies of the game's owned by the user for the usage they are allowed then we are good.....assuming files from the game aren't included with any downloads.

We would rather not have to decrypt posts for people attempting to skirt around the issue.....

Saying that it's a big internet so if this doesn't sit well we'll you know what to do.

The thread is fine then. There's nothing of that sort, not even a modified executable or a DLL. The distance patch stuff could have hit that copyrighted area but as I replied, it is not a concern of the thread's objective.

DosFreak wrote on 2023-11-14, 17:37:

Basically if this thread or posts within are supporting a patched ready to go download of the game's for download then it'll have to be closed or posts deleted. If this thread or posts within are supporting the ability to fix a copy or copies of the game's owned by the user for the usage they are allowed then we are good.....assuming files from the games aren't included with any downloads.

We would rather not have to decrypt posts for people attempting to skirt around the issue.....

Saying that it's a big internet so if this doesn't sit well well you know what to do.

The installer I wrote asks for your CD.
It copies the game files from the CD.
It bundles in the fixes from the first post that make it work on modern windows.

It's all in the zip a couple pages back if you want to look.
It's just a powershell script. It's not that hard to read if you know any code at all.

myne wrote on 2023-11-14, 09:07:

Here, change your exec policy back, and try this from the same folder (attached)

Okay this works very well. You can update your package, with the 50FPS cap applied to dgVoodoo2 profile. Plus you can change DxWnd frame limiter to 50 instead of 60; it will be beneficial to people who want to run on Direct3D or have a dgV2 incapable card (eg ATI Radeon 2000 series with Windows 10).

How's this one?

Deleted (updated original)