MrFlibble

Thanks for clarifying that, I also have that problem and I was at loss as to why it occurred (I ascribed it to moving from v1.45 to v1.46, incorrectly, as it turns out), but I used the "copy existing mixfile" workaround just fine

Hmm, IIRC if you change something in a RA1 INI without removing the [Digest] section, it will just refuse to load that scenario at all. If it shows the original briefing, then the modifications either were not saved, or a different version of the map was loaded. On the other hand, all briefings from the original campaign (not add-on missions) are stored in a file called MISSION.INI, just like in C&C. If you want to change campaign briefings, you should edit that file, not individual scenario INIs.

Here's a promising forum about old gaming (not limited to PCs) I've just been told about: Retro Game Forum

I've removed the link to DOS Games Download as it turned out that its entire content and categories have been copied from dosgames.com without the latter's admin's authorization, so I was asked to remove all links to it.

Aww, eDuke32 rules! Thanks for the links!

The Sierra Chest An extensive database of Sierra games, with screenshots, downloadable demos, and various links. SierraGamers - The Official Website of Ken and Roberta Williams Exactly what it says on the tin, it's a site maintained by Ken and Roberta Williams and dedicated to Sierra games and legacy. A must visit for every Sierra fan, and anyone interested in the history of computer games. The Chaos Regime A site about games by Bitmap Brothers. Features demo downloads, screenshots and interesting info. Interplay Official Website The official website of Interplay Entertainment. They've got tech support for their old games, as well as demos, patches and other extras like PDF manuals and music (as in the case of Descent II). Videogame Music Preservation Foundation A database of music from video games, regardless of platform. You can browse entries by games, by artists, formats or platforms. Also has its own Wiki.

The Sierra Help Pages As the name suggests, the site is dedicated to games by Sierra On-line. There's extensive information about the games, hints and tips, and helpful information about running them on modern machines. The site also features and extensive collection of demo versions of Sierra games.

90's Hunter by Leileilol An interesting collection of obscure shareware and freeware games from the nineties. Also featured are largely unknown modifications for certain old games.

It is interesting that the regular trial version of AoE does not reject the CGW demo campaign, making it playable in a higher resolution (an presumably with less bugs) if the full version is unavailable (the demo campaign can be downloaded as a separate file here). Since one of the exiting splash screens in both CGW demo and the Trial version depict an Egyptian city, it would be reasonable to suppose that the demo campaign was initially intended to be Egyptian, but then it was changed to Hittites, probably for the reasons of variety (since the tutorial campaign in the full game is also Egyptian).

DOS Games Download [link removed] Yet another nice site that offers legal downloads of old games. There's browsing by genre categories, and info on release date, publisher, distribution type (demo, shareware, freeware), a brief description and a screenshot is provided for each title. As far as I'm concerned, original file names of distribution package archives are also preserved. [Edit] This site turned out to be an unauthorized copy of dosgames.com, whose admin asked me to remove the link. BTW, one of the most common problems with DOS gaming sites is that no information about the type of distribution of a game is given, so it is not always possible to determine at first glance if a download is legal or not. Obviously, the presence of games that never had any public demo versions or shareware episodes on a site is a pretty clear indication of what you can expect there.

Cool I know about the enhanced FTP (you've got the C&C demo CD files there), didn't know you did it (could have guessed though ) BTW, it turns out that the GameFront MicroProse archive I linked to is indeed a copy of their official FTP, so asking for a Westwood FTP makes sense... But the C&C community members know about it already, don't they? (BTW, does the original WS FTP still have that issue with periodical morphs into the EA FTP?) [Edit] I thought you included the Dune 2 Kyrandia demo on the enhanced FTP, but it doesn't seem to be there...

I didn't know about this mirror, so thanks But an FTP isn't exactly a site, is it? BTW, is there any archived copy of the old Westwood Studios' website anywhere except archive.org?

Shameless repost, but anyway I've always been a retro-gamer of sorts, and I'm glad to see that old game sites and forums are quite active these days. Here's a list of a few noteworthy ones - even if you haven't been inclined towards old games before, you might just as well try going retro now Freeware & Shareware Archives Remain in Play This is as much a database of commercial games that have been released into public domain as it is a gaming site. It provides info, screenshots and downloads of freeware games, but keep in mind that the database includes not only playable games, but also source code and raw data if those were the only things released to the public. There options to filter games by type of distributed content, and it's a good idea to look for binary executables if you want to get playable games and not files that are barely useful if you aren't a programmer or game developer yourself. Theodor Lauppert's Game Gallery (mirror site) Here you'll find interesting, insightful reviews of games, tons of related links, screenshots, demo/shareware/freeware downloads etc. You can browse games by genre, title, platform (featured games aren't limited to PC only), or country. There are also a few interesting related sites: King Svatopluk's Court - a nice site dedicated to various RPGs like the Elder Scrolls series. Svatopluk's Game World - various articles about games. Svatopluk's DOSBox - a large, unsorted collection of screenshots from various DOS games. Svatopluk's Arcade - a lot of info and screenshots about all sorts of arcade games. Demu.org (formerly known as DOS Museum) This is by far the largest archive of shareware episodes, demo versions, extras and utils for DOS and Windows games, as well as a selection of other programmes. Quite a few rare items can be found here, so it's a must see for everyone The only imaginable drawback is that original file names of archives aren't always preserved, and some games have been repackaged in RAR for better compression. Both playable and unplayable demo versions (and also preview slideshows, trailers etc.) are present. There's an option of ordering a DVD with the entire collection of the site per mail. Links to sites that offer full versions of featured games for purchase are present where applicable. RGB Classic Games Behind this site is an extensive agenda of preservation of old games (DOS and Windows), and thanks to the initiative of the site's author some old titles have been officially released into public domain by their respective developers following Internet petitions. RGB Classic Games is unique because it aims to include every existing version of each featured game, and the community members actively search for rare releases of old games. Each game on the site is accompanied by an brief but informative description that contains info on developers, publishers, current availability etc. Non-playable content is usually not included. The site also offers their complete collection on DVDs. Links to sites that offer full versions of featured games for purchase are present where applicable. There's also an extensive archive of emulators and other utilities you might need to play the games on modern machines, and comprehensive guides to successfully running old games on new hardware. In addition, there is an option to play featured games right in your browser. Hallfiry's CD Index - an incredibly powerful search engine that allows to view contents of more than two thousand magazine cover disks from the 90s and the 2000s. Prominent English, German, French, Polish and other magazines are featured, and links to CD images are present where possible (including links to the Internet Archive's CD Archive). Kult Cover Disks - The Cover CD & Magazine Archive! - Hallfiry's extensive collection of gaming magazines and magazine cover disks (mostly in German). Kult Game Downloads - Hallfiry's database of shareware and demo releases of PC games from the 90s and the 2000s, as well as patches and various extras. Smush The Cat A nice collection of shareware episodes, demo versions and freeware full versions of old DOS and Windows games. Descriptions and other info are scarce, but links to official and related websites for games are present if possible. There's an option to browse by multiple categories (platform, game type etc.). The site also offers utilities that might be needed to run the old games on modern systems. dosgames.com This is a popular site with a large archive of DOS games, offering playable demo versions and shareware episodes. Well-known classics are present alongside more obscure titles. There's also a community forum where people can get help with getting a game to run on a modern machine, or locating an old game they just can't find. A selection of utilities needed to run the games is also available. DOS Games Archive A sister site to dosgames.com. Non-playable content is also present, as are full versions of games that have officially become freeware. There's a multi-category browsing option (by genre, playability etc.), a number of selected screenshots for each game (unfortunately, they're not always from the demo version), cheat code listings and links to places where you can buy the full version if a game is still sold. The DOS Multiplayer Archives This site focuses on playing old DOS games over the net (through DOSBox). It offers demos of DOS games that have multiplayer capability, already bundled with DOSBox configured for online play. The collection of games isn't very large at the moment, but it can be expected to grow. Currently, the focus is on the less known games that have a multiplayer option, because they're not as easy to run on modern systems as those well-known classics (Doom, Duke Nukem 3D etc.) that have source ports to newer platforms, as well as large supporting communities. Game Reviews Hardcore Gaming 101 A dedicated old-gaming site with a huge database of detailed articles about PC and console games and game series. The Computer Show This is an archive of previews, reviews, walkthroughs and other articles about games that have been released in the nineties. Ancient DOS Games Periodic issues of video reviews of DOS games can be found here. HappyPuppy (archived copy) This seems to have been one of the most active gaming sites in the nineties, with reviews and links to shareware and demo downloads. Definitely worth of checking it out! FTP Archives Gamers.Org has several old FTP file archives on their site: FTP Archive at the Polish Interdisciplinary Centre for Mathematic and Computer Modelling A nice FTP archive of shareware and demo programmes and games. The following are mirrors of a certain old FTP site with shareware and demo downloads: http://www.ftp.funet.fi/index/msdos/games/ ftp://nic.funet.fi/pub/msdos/games/ Sites Dedicated to Specific Games and Companies 3D Realms' Master Download Page Apogee Software, more commonly known as 3D Realms after it's sub-brand focused on 3D games, pioneered the shareware model of game distribution, in which a sizeable portion of a game ("episode") was offered for free download and distribution, and the rest could be ordered by "registering" the game, if the player liked it. This successful strategy was later employed by other companies, like id Software, and the result is a large number of classic shareware games that are freely distributed. The downloads archive features shareware episodes of games published by Apogee/3D Realms, and also offers full versions of games that have become freeware. Generally, the 3D Realms website has a lot interesting stuff to explore, visit their FAQs section and the extensive Apogee Legacy interviews archive by Joe Siegler. El Zee's Amulets & Armor Forum A fan forum for discussing Amulets and Armor, a first-person action/RPG game that runs on the Doom engine. leileilol's Unofficial Amulets & Armor Shrine A little site about the game, which aslo includes downloads of the shareware version. Rise of the Triad Headquarters As the name suggests, this is a site dedicated to Apogee's Rise of the Triad, and it contains extensive information about the game and everything related to it. The downloads section offers source ports, the shareware version, and various extras. There's also a forum. The Sierra Help Pages As the name suggests, the site is dedicated to games by Sierra On-line. There's extensive information about the games, hints and tips, and helpful information about running them on modern machines. The site also features and extensive collection of demo versions of Sierra games. The Sierra Chest An extensive database of Sierra games, with screenshots, downloadable demos, and various links. SierraGamers - The Official Website of Ken and Roberta Williams Exactly what it says on the tin, it's a site maintained by Ken and Roberta Williams and dedicated to Sierra games and legacy. A must visit for every Sierra fan, and anyone interested in the history of computer games. The Chaos Regime A site about games by Bitmap Brothers. Features demo downloads, screenshots and interesting info. Interplay Official Website The official website of Interplay Entertainment. They've got tech support for their old games, as well as demos, patches and other extras like PDF manuals and, in some cases, even music. Some links seem to be broken though. Westwood Remembered A tribute to Westwood Studios, this archive at CnC World is a copy of the company’s official site from 1996. Miscellaneous Gaming Sites A Force for Good This website is about old PC games, and how to run them on modern systems. It offers detailed reviews of many games, both for DOS and Win9x, and general information articles about where to find old games, and what tools and tricks to use to get them running. Videogame Music Preservation Foundation A database of music from video games, regardless of platform. You can browse entries by games, by artists, formats or platforms. Also has its own Wiki. leileilol's 90's Hunter An interesting collection of obscure shareware and freeware games from the nineties. Also featured are largely unknown modifications for certain old games. Leliork's Site The site features a rather extensive list of old FPS games, organized by year of release, and contains screenshots and download links for demo/shareware/freeware releases of each game (if applicable). The content seems to exclude vehicle FPS games though, but it has quite a few rare titles so it's worth looking into. S&F Prod. A neat site about oldies, with various interesting and useful info about classic games (and, in some cases, utilities like game data extractors). CuteFloor’s YouTube Channel Has a large section of videos from unreleased DOS games, as well as alpha and beta versions. Retro Game Forum A promising forum dedicated to old gaming on various platforms, including home computer systems, consoles and game arcade machines.

Yep, I remember using DOSBox made this peculiarity quite noticeable with some DOS games as well Unless you mount anything as a CD-ROM drive, those keep asking for a CD even with the no-CD crack applied.

Ouch! Has there been any explanation why they'd do that?

Hmm, I've been posting links to files hosted by ImageShack in various forums, but so far the pics are displayed without any problems. But never theless, the entire story is outrageous! That's pure discrimination :ranting:

AFAIK v0.74 is the latest one I'll test this enhanced SVN build, but I think that actually it's me having screwed up something unintentionally - because otherwise your BAT file wouldn't work for me (I suppose). OR maybe it has something to do with my keyboard layout, or maybe some other regional settings.

This will just execute it from the absolute path c:dos32a\binw\ as long as C is the drive you're on. An absolute path that's only drive-relative. It's completely unrelated to the environment variable you set. Environment variables can only be called by surrounding them with % signs. Weird enough, but trying to launch ultramid.exe using the absolute path method didn't work either... Some oddity in DOSBox, I suppose.

This will just execute it from the absolute path c:dos32a\binw\ as long as C is the drive you're on. An absolute path that's only drive-relative. It's completely unrelated to the environment variable you set. Environment variables can only be called by surrounding them with % signs. Actually, the DOS32A instruction at DOSBox wiki says to use %dos32a%\binw\sb /r, but since this did not work for me, I omitted the %'s, and it worked (as it turns out, for a different reason). Maybe DOSBox 0.74 has some trouble with that?

Ouch, I meant exactly that - %ultradir%. I just checked, when I type it tells me that it's an illegal command. Or is this type of syntax only supposed to work in batch files (the batch file forks fine, as I said above)? On the other hand, when I embedded DOS32A in some other games' executables, I followed the instructions and used the command and then typing stuff like worked perfectly (although typing the full path to sb.exe would have worked just as fine). Why doesn't typing ultradir\ultramid (with or without %'s) work the same way, if it is also defined by the set command: ?

Thanks for clarifying that My knowledge of DOS syntax isn't perfect, and I've hardly ever made any batch files myself. As I mentioned elsewhere, your batch file works perfectly I must have been typing something wrong so %ultrasnd%\ultramid didn't work for me.

It should work with all versions (I tested it with v1.0 and HS v1.07), since SOUND.PAK is identical in all of them. However, for some reason I haven't figured out yet, using GUS for both sound effects and speech in Super Dune II Classic tends to crash it. Using Ultramid with SB for speech and sfx works fine though. (I think that it might be because the game seems to load the entire ORDOS.VOC into memory on the House selection screen, since the Mercenaries use Ordos voices, but I'm not sure) I was being lazy :laugh: Actually I'm pretty inept at making batch files, and kind of didn't feel like looking for reference to make anything more decent. I copied the batch file from Blackthorne demo, and I added @echo on because upon exiting it would display this while with @echo on it gets and besides, it seemed logical Maybe a simple empty line at the end would have done just as fine, but I didn't check that. I've tried using %ultradir%\ultramid without having C:\ULTRASND included in the PATH variable, but for some reason it did not work at all for me, resulting in something like "illegal command %ultradir%\ultramid". Maybe I was doing something wrong... Once again, thanks!

Not long ago I've configured DOSBox for Gravis Ultrasound emulation (which allows for high-quality synthesized music), and while browsing for possibly useful files, I found a very old unofficial patch that added GUS support to Dune II. Unfortunately, that patch does not work well with DOSBox, but the principle behind it allowed me to make a suitable replacement. The simple trick behind the patch is that the setup programme tells Dune II which drivers and sound files to use, so replacing certain drivers with GUS drivers does the job. For the patch, I replaced the Sound Blaster driver with the GUS digital driver, and the MT-32 driver with the GUS MIDI driver. That way, you can use the Sound Blaster Pro for SB emulation if you want to, and you can still select Sound Canvas (which replaces the Tandy 3 voice option) too, although it is recommended that you use the original Dune II setup and sound files if you want Sound Canvas-synthesized music. Download Dune 2 Gravis Ultrasound Patch (Download link courtesy of Nyerguds) To install the patch, simply extract the following files into your Dune II directory, overwriting the old files when necessary (it is advised that you make a back-up copy of the old files first): DUNE2G.BAT DUNE.CFG SETUP.EXE SETUPENG.DIP SOUND.PAK The DUNE.CFG file is already configured to use Gravis Ultrasound for sound effects, speech and synthesized music, so if you do not want to change this, simply run DUNE2G.BAT to play Dune II with GUS music and sounds. For more information, refer to the patch readme file supplied in the package. NOTE: It is assumed that you already have DOSBox installed and configured to emulate Gravis Ultrasound. If that is not the case, please refer to the information concerning Gravis Ultrasound emulation in DOSBox Wiki: http://dosbox.com/wiki/Sound#Gravis_Ultrasound For general information about DOSBox, visit their home page: http://dosbox.com/

Well, there's an entirely different Egyptian campaign, plus features from a late beta build (a "Release Beta" which was subject to a close beta test). You can take a look at screenshots here, and read about the various details concerning the demo campaign and other things here, here and also here.

Dunno if you guys might be interested in this, but I've just got the news that the rare Computer Gaming World Magazine Demo of Age of Empires has finally become publicly downloadable thanks to Matt Pritchard, an ex-Ensemble Studios employee. Get it here. The demo uses a late beta build of Age of Empires and contains a unique five-mission Egyptian campaign that is different from the Ascent of Egypt campaign in the full game.