mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:

I wonder if someone with a copy of SoftICE or a similar debugger could find out how Expendable detects the G400 so a new patch could be made.

It checks for vendor id 102B (Matrox) and device id 0525 (G400/G450).
If it can't find a Matrox card it displays a message "SORRY......... This Version Needs MATROX Hardware!".
I can't tell exactly what happens it it can't find a G400, but if it finds a G200 it displays a message "SORRY......... This Version Needs MATROX G400 Hardware." I suppose the game will still quit.
I don't know which API is used to get the IDs, but I really suggest trying if 3D-Analyze can fake them. As far as I understand EMBM is a DirectX 6 feature (7 and 8 still seem to have it) that is also supported by the Radeon line, Geforce 3 and up, Kyro and possible others. On newer cards it was removed but I don't know when, my guess would be DirectX 10 cards.
If you want to try patching the go.exe in Maulwurf's patch you can change the following bytes:
Search for 3D 2B 10 00 00 75 39 and change 75 39 to 90 90 (disable check for 102B / Matrox)
Search for 81 F9 25 05 00 00 75 0A and change the 75 0A to 90 90 (disable check for 0525 / G400)

I don't know if there are any further checks or problems. I don't have the game so I can't test it, even when I try to start it I get an error message about smackw32.dll which seems to be some video codec installed with the game.

I received my Matrox G400MAX the other day and thought I would try this.

Expendable runs perfectly with a fresh install, however when I copy the files over and run, I get the following...

My settings and drivers (Using the latest ones from the Matrox Site)

I've also tried the resolution at 800x600 @ 16bit. however it crashes back to the desktop.

Running on Windows ME, I have 2x Voodoo 2 12mb in SLI.

Any suggestions?

Try to set AGP aparture size to 128 or 256 in the BIOS.

vetz wrote:

Try to set AGP aparture size to 128 or 256 in the BIOS.

Thanks Vetz, Tried 128 and 256mb, still the same error.
Also pulled both Voodoos, still the same.

One thing I have noticed, in DXDIAG, check out AGP Texture Acceleration...

This right?

EDIT - Tested in Windows 2000 and it works perfectly, I noticed that the AGP Acceleration is enabled within dxdiag on the Matrox. The only difference is obviously the OS but running DX9.

Screenshot to show the bump mapping on objects.

Could you play a little bit further until you see the water and take a screenshot from there?

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Could you play a little bit further until you see the water and take a screenshot from there?

😀 Looks great. Runs well, will try and get round to benchmarking it.

Nice!

I got two G400 MAX cards (DELL versions) and they are quite a bit faster than a G450. However, they also don't go higher than 800 x 600 in 32 bit colour with the patch. And the resolution selection also displays something like 0x0, whenever you access it.

On the 450 DVI the resolution sticks (whatever you selected last time) and the game will run at up to 1280 x 1024 in 32 bit colour. Can someone confirm this? Really odd behaviour and I'm using the exact same driver.

ALSO: Matrox has v-sync disabled. I hunted down a Matrox utility but that didn't work. In the end an older version of PowerStrip worked.

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Made a video:

Expendable Matrox G450 Environment Mapped Bump Mapping 1024 x 768

I actually contributed something? I'm rather flattered. 🤣

idspispopd wrote:

It checks for vendor id 102B (Matrox) and device id 0525 (G400/G450). If it can't find a Matrox card it displays a message "SORR […]
Show full quote

mr_bigmouth_502 wrote:

I wonder if someone with a copy of SoftICE or a similar debugger could find out how Expendable detects the G400 so a new patch could be made.

It checks for vendor id 102B (Matrox) and device id 0525 (G400/G450).
If it can't find a Matrox card it displays a message "SORRY......... This Version Needs MATROX Hardware!".
I can't tell exactly what happens it it can't find a G400, but if it finds a G200 it displays a message "SORRY......... This Version Needs MATROX G400 Hardware." I suppose the game will still quit.
I don't know which API is used to get the IDs, but I really suggest trying if 3D-Analyze can fake them. As far as I understand EMBM is a DirectX 6 feature (7 and 8 still seem to have it) that is also supported by the Radeon line, Geforce 3 and up, Kyro and possible others. On newer cards it was removed but I don't know when, my guess would be DirectX 10 cards.
If you want to try patching the go.exe in Maulwurf's patch you can change the following bytes:
Search for 3D 2B 10 00 00 75 39 and change 75 39 to 90 90 (disable check for 102B / Matrox)
Search for 81 F9 25 05 00 00 75 0A and change the 75 0A to 90 90 (disable check for 0525 / G400)

I don't know if there are any further checks or problems. I don't have the game so I can't test it, even when I try to start it I get an error message about smackw32.dll which seems to be some video codec installed with the game.

I have the GoG release, but I'll have to dig out a system with a pre-DX10 video card. Maybe I could throw my PCI Geforce FX 5500 into my desktop, that would be interesting to see.

foey wrote:

Thanks Vetz, Tried 128 and 256mb, still the same error. Also pulled both Voodoos, still the same. […]
Show full quote

vetz wrote:

Try to set AGP aparture size to 128 or 256 in the BIOS.

Thanks Vetz, Tried 128 and 256mb, still the same error.
Also pulled both Voodoos, still the same.

One thing I have noticed, in DXDIAG, check out AGP Texture Acceleration...

This right?

EDIT - Tested in Windows 2000 and it works perfectly, I noticed that the AGP Acceleration is enabled within dxdiag on the Matrox. The only difference is obviously the OS but running DX9.

Screenshot to show the bump mapping on objects.

My guess is the GART driver from your mobo is missing in Win98, which Win2000 already has.

Expendable on a Matrox G400 MAX with Environmental Mapped Bump Mapping

Hey, that's a lot smoother now. Other than the card, still the same system as before?

filipetolhuizen wrote:

My guess is the GART driver from your mobo is missing in Win98, which Win2000 already has.

Via 4in1s installed and working OK. I can confirm this by my Geforce 256, AGP is enabled. Just seems to be this card?

Mau1wurf1977 wrote:

Expendable on a Matrox G400 MAX with Environmental Mapped Bump Mapping

Nice video Mau1wuf1977, the G400Max is a powerful card. Shame about its OpenGL Performance.

archsan wrote:

Hey, that's a lot smoother now. Other than the card, still the same system as before?

Slower system. 1.1 GHz Pentium III instead of 1.4 GHz Pentium III-S. However I didn't know about the v-sync issue. It was enabled previously.

Still the G400 MAX is quite a bit faster 😀

Oh, I see... it was capped at ~30fps max before with the G450, but often go under 20. Well now the MAX seems pretty useful indeed, if just for EMBM in the few DX6 games that support it (Drakan? Descent 3?). GAH!!! Yet another graphic card to get! 🤣

Got a G550 and it doesn't work with G400 patch.

Also tried Darkan and I simply cannot tell any difference between a G200 and G400. The water looks different, but only a tiny bit and nothing impressive at all. I also agree, stick with a G400 or G400 MAX.

Did anyone ever get the G400 patch to work with non-Matrox hardware? I tried using 3D-Analyze to spoof the vendor and device IDs, but Expendable wasn't fooled.

The Matrox patch looks great with my G400 MAX, but I sure would like to see it running at a solid 85 fps on newer hardware. The G400 MAX really struggles at 1024x768x32 with its limited fillrate.

Well, I don't know if this qualifies as a workaround, but I just discovered that the G400 patch works perfectly with the Matrox Parhelia. Combined with the awesome Reef Demo, this makes me one happy Parhelia owner. 😁

Sweet!

How does that card compare to the G400 MAX?

The G400 MAX compares roughly to a TNT2 Ultra.
The Parhelia (original Parhelia-512, there are later cost-cut versions like Parhelia-LX, P650, P750) compares roughly to a Geforce3 Ti 500 or Radeon 8500, but that depends on the game (as always).
The Parhela is not as fast as its specs would suggest, but still much faster than the G400 MAX.
The more common version has 128 MB, 256 MB version is quite uncommon.

As I mentioned before the Reef Demo can easily be made to run on other DX 8.1 cards. (In fact it was more difficult to get the demo in the first place.)

idspispopd wrote:

As I mentioned before the Reef Demo can easily be made to run on other DX 8.1 cards. (In fact it was more difficult to get the demo in the first place.)

Finding/getting the older fairy demo, the demo from the G400, is even harder. Was very disappointed after a long time searching for it and finally getting it, that even with the "i_promise_i_will_go_buy_a_matrox_g400" line added to it's config, it still wouldn't run on my nVidia card under Windows 7, nor in XP mode.

Edited: To correct the line to add to the matrox.cfg file per maximus. That's what I get from going from memory.