VOGONS

Spycraft help

Topic actions

First post, by Unregistered

Posted on 
User metadata

Hi all,

I am trying to run Spycraft (from 1996/97) on windows 2000. There are two versions -a win 95 version and a DOS version. The win 95 version doesn't work becuase it says I require a 16bit soundcard, but I have a modern soundcard (Santa Cruz). I don't think this card offers soundblaster emulation for old games, and this might be the problem. Using the 'Run with VDMSound' option gives the same error message.
In the DOS version, I configure the sound in the setup screen but running the game with VDMS gives the message: 'Fatal Error...Spycraft requires that you have a video card with the VESA BIOS Extensions (VBE), supporting 640x480 mode with 32,768 or 65,536 colors. Please install the VESA driver which came with your video card then try again.' I am using a geforce4 ti4600.
Is there anything I can do to get this game working? There is a video setup program that has three options: Ignore old VBE BIOS; Disable VBE 2.0 extensions and Disable Linear Framebuffer.

Can anyone help?

Thanks,
Jon

Reply 1 of 3, by Stiletto

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Here's fuel for the fire, for the other mods/admins:

Found on the web:

Case in point, Spycraft from Activision. It won't run on winNT because they made it as mixed up as win9x, part 16-bit and part 32-bit so can't run in either subsystem


----

Spycraft (mixed 16/32-bit game. It's "personality" is about as mixed up
as win9x and was done to get rid of performance loss in win95 of having
to thunk between 16 and 32-bit components by matching each)


----

Try running the game Spycraft (and other games which automagically installed DirectX 1.0 on your machine), and see if things don't go haywire.


----

These quotes make it sound like a prime opportunity to experiment with ACT - the Application Compatibility Toolkit.

Note: If worse comes to worse, there was a Macintosh port of this game which may run under Macintosh emulators such as Basilisk II.

Also read: http://www.mobygames.com/game/view_review/rev … 6/platformId,3/
https://activision.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/activ … &p_sort_by=dflt
https://activision.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/activ … &p_sort_by=dflt
https://activision.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/activ … &p_sort_by=dflt

As for VESA support, I prefer to let one of the other mods/admins handle it. (I'm busy on other things...)

Sorry I can't help, I don't own the game...

"I see a little silhouette-o of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you
do the Fandango!" - Queen

Stiletto

Reply 2 of 3, by Snover

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Try selecting "enable basic VESA emulation" in the VDMSound Launchpad for the DOS version.
It sounds like the stupid thing is using UNIVBE. Disabling VESA2.0 extensions should ensure Windows can support the VESA mode it uses. (Still no guarantee that it will work, however.)

Yes, it’s my fault.

Reply 3 of 3, by edelbeb

Posted on 
User metadata
Rank Newbie
Rank
Newbie

I got this to run by installing and running the Win95 version in Win95 compatability mode. Make sure to set the desktop to 16 bit color and to turn off the "always on top" function of the taskbar. Also, use 640 x 480 to get full screen.

Go to top of page Go to top of page
Back to VDMSound General
Close window
Close window