The EMBM Version of expendable on the Matrox CD was only a leveldemo, not the full version right?
There is a Matrox EMBM patch for the full release that can be downloaded on phils website. It's supposed for the Version 1.0 of expandable.
There is also a "hacked" EMBM patch that offers EMBM on other, non matrox cards.

Was there ever a digital release of the matrox version that does not require the CD in drive ?

If I apply a ncd on the patched version the game does not start anymore. To be clear I own the orginal version of the game.

So can someone please check this:

- Does EMBM only work on the original Matrox G400 and not on G450/G550 ?
- Does EMBM on G450/G550 work with the non-matrox-card patch ?

I just bought the GOG Version and I am only getting 1-2fps, unplayable, with or without an EMBM patch.

Thx!

dr.zeissler wrote on 2023-10-29, 10:40:

So can someone please check this: […]
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So can someone please check this:

- Does EMBM only work on the original Matrox G400 and not on G450/G550 ?
- Does EMBM on G450/G550 work with the non-matrox-card patch ?

I just bought the GOG Version and I am only getting 1-2fps, unplayable, with or without an EMBM patch.

Thx!

IDK about the real Matrox cards (don't own any), but have you tired dgvoodoo2 directx wrappers in conjunction with the patch? Dgvoodoo2 even has an option for simulating a Matrox card, although it's a Parhelia 512.

I'm pretty sure the slowdown is from the game using an ancient version of d3d that doesn't work well with modern Windows versions, assuming that you're playing on a modern pc. Dgvoodoo2 should fix that by wrapping it to d3d11 or 12, and as far as I know, it should work with both the Matrox and the non-Matrox patch.

Edit: I tried it out. Dgvoodoo2's Matrox option doesn't seem to work for the EMBM effects by itself (altough its possible that the gog version, which is the one I have, doesn't have the files form the bumpmapping patch by default), but the tuxality patch works with dgvoodoo and the game runs at the proper framerate too.

If I'm remembering correctly, I was able to patch the GOG version with the official retail patch, but it requires that the disc is mounted/inserted. The Parhelia 512 worked for me, as the game only seems to check for vendor ids. This can also be set here: https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/DgVoodoo_2# … irectX_Extended

I don't have a modern machine...the machine currently using is FSC-S2 with MGA-LP 450 32MB and Windows 2000 with the latest accelerated driver from matrox which is "w2kxp_586.exe"
The GOG Version has also 1-2fps when startet without patching...to bad most versions from gog are garbage for a retro-gamer on a retro-machine!

The original CD Version patched for EMBM or upatched also only shows 4-5fps starting in game-menu and also ingame.
Changed/probed every setting without luck...is this a win2k-driver problem?

Seems to be something wrong, checked every G450DVI Win2k driver that is 572/582/584/586
expendable stays about 4fps.

Have you tried any other Direct3D games? This game was made for Win9x, so Win2k might be another issue.

Every other D3d Game is fine.

Rechecked on E600 G550 Win2K....Menu 32fps...no EMBM possible, after applying EMBM patch the game does not start anymore.
On G450 the EMBM patch works but performance stays at 4fps.

no issue on another machine... on FSC-E600 instead of FSC-S2 the G450 is just fine and I can confirm the former statements that G450 works great with the EMBM patch the G550 does not work....but one of my G450DVI just died after a short expendable benchmark...so I just put another one in that machine 😉

Made a fresh install...same problem on FSC-S2...I checked bios and.......peripherals....and...WTF I had a speedlink USB-Joystick connected to that FSC-S2 and THAT damn thing causes this 4fps...there seems to be an issue with USB-Joysticks with expendable....! What a dumb issue...