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Is there gonna be a new feature for old windows games


Compute67

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For early non DOS games there would either need to be an emulator such as DOSbox to make them work or some sort of other work around or patch to make those older games work with a newer version of Windows and those cases they would work like any other Windows game, just import the exe or shortcut and run it.

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I read a while ago that someone was working on a Windows 3.x emulator but I haven't heard anything recent on so I have no idea how well it's progressing. As for Windows 95 games you would have to look into patches or or other methods into getting those games to be made compatible with Windows 7 or newer, sometimes it's just a matter of going into the exe properties and turning on compatibility mode but that would be on a game by game basis and there are sites around that can help you like this one: https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Category:Games

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Um there is a set of windows 3.X games called Win3xO, made by evo.  You cans earch in google and find that.  it integrates into launchbox.  the only issue with this is.  because it uses launchbox and windows 3.1 is needed, he had to add windows to every file.  so the files are a little larger than they need to be.

 

However DARKSEED2 is part of his set and you could just download that one file.

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If you're feeling adventurous, you can actually setup an instance of Windows 3.1 within DOSBox (I recommend DOSBox Daum for this; I use regular old DOSBox for standard DOS games, but Daum handles the 3.1 environment better than normal DOSBox). I've done this to setup quite a few 3.5 era games (including Darkseed 2):

Burn:Cycle
Cosmology of Kyoto
Crusader: Adventure Out Of Time
Darkseed 2
Four-Sight
Frankenstein: Through The Eyes of the Monster
Gadget: Invention, Travel, Adventure
In The 1st Degree
Jewels of the Oracle
The Journeyman Project Turbo!
Karma: Curse of the 12 Caves
Logical Journey of the Zoombinis
Majestic Part 1: Alien Encounter
The Martian Chronicles Adventure Game
Math Blaster: In Search of Spot
Mirage
Noir: A Shadowy Thriller
Panic In The Park
The Residents: Bad Day on the Midway
Shivers
Spaceship Warlock

There are quite a few guides out there on how to do this. The way I've done it is to setup my instance of 3.1 as a base with no games installed, then I duplicate that folder and rename it after the game title whenever I want to setup a new game. I add disc images to the .conf file, boot up 3.1, use the 3.1 file explorer to install the game, exit, then edit the "Load=" line in the WIN.INI to direct it to the game exe; this way as soon as I start that copy of DOSBox, it boots 3.1 and then immediately boots the game. Then I add that copy of DOSBox to LB like you would any other game .exe. It starts DOSBox, boots 3.1, then boots the game.

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@Zombeaver, I think that is how exo did his win3xO set.  So I click on a game, it loads windows 3.1 and immediately loads the game.  it is a very barebones version of 3.1

 

If anyone needs help setting it up let me know, i just set up all of the DoseXo sets and Win3xO.  They are really awesome sets

 

 

Edited by Aevans0001
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  • 1 year later...
On 1/9/2018 at 4:34 PM, Aevans0001 said:

@Zombeaver, I think that is how exo did his win3xO set.  So I click on a game, it loads windows 3.1 and immediately loads the game.  it is a very barebones version of 3.1

 

If anyone needs help setting it up let me know, i just set up all of the DoseXo sets and Win3xO.  They are really awesome sets

 

 

@Aevans0001 I could use some help getting the Win3xO collection imported in to LaunchBox. I have tried a few things now and the guides I've found aren't much help. If you have a moment I'd appreciate a quick run down on how to get these games imported. I've already downloaded the collection and the images. Thank you!

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  • 3 months later...
On 1/9/2018 at 9:41 AM, Zombeaver said:

I installed Shivers in Windows 3.1 and keep getting error about waveoutopen device already in use

I installed Shivers in Windows 3.1 and added the whole package in Launchbox's DOSBox.

I added the full path in win.ini so everything is loaded immediately when I double click on the game in DOSBox, however, i keep getting error about waveoutopen device already in use and that the game needs a wave driver in order to play it.

But if I load the game after from Win 3.1 - Program manager - Sierra - Shivers - sierraw.exe, the game loads fine without error.

The video card driver (S3) and sound blaster driver are both installed in Win3.1 before I installed Shivers.

Any solution about this waveoutopen device error?

Thank you,

Daniel

Quote

 

If you're feeling adventurous, you can actually setup an instance of Windows 3.1 within DOSBox (I recommend DOSBox Daum for this; I use regular old DOSBox for standard DOS games, but Daum handles the 3.1 environment better than normal DOSBox). I've done this to setup quite a few 3.5 era games (including Darkseed 2):

Burn:Cycle
Cosmology of Kyoto
Crusader: Adventure Out Of Time
Darkseed 2
Four-Sight
Frankenstein: Through The Eyes of the Monster
Gadget: Invention, Travel, Adventure
In The 1st Degree
Jewels of the Oracle
The Journeyman Project Turbo!
Karma: Curse of the 12 Caves
Logical Journey of the Zoombinis
Majestic Part 1: Alien Encounter
The Martian Chronicles Adventure Game
Math Blaster: In Search of Spot
Mirage
Noir: A Shadowy Thriller
Panic In The Park
The Residents: Bad Day on the Midway
Shivers
Spaceship Warlock

There are quite a few guides out there on how to do this. The way I've done it is to setup my instance of 3.1 as a base with no games installed, then I duplicate that folder and rename it after the game title whenever I want to setup a new game. I add disc images to the .conf file, boot up 3.1, use the 3.1 file explorer to install the game, exit, then edit the "Load=" line in the WIN.INI to direct it to the game exe; this way as soon as I start that copy of DOSBox, it boots 3.1 and then immediately boots the game. Then I add that copy of DOSBox to LB like you would any other game .exe. It starts DOSBox, boots 3.1, then boots the game.

 

Edited by Dancsi37
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