Old games

[dgingeri]

I have a couple old games that I want to get the chance to play again. the problem is that I can't get any platform to play them anymore.

Starfleet Command was an awesome concept, but essentially fell flat because the final implementation was buggy, at best. Even with all the bugs and hanging, I still like to play it. It works fine under Windows 7 when set to run in WinXP compatibility mode. It doesn't hardly use any hardware resources, so my CPU and video card don't even come out of idle mode.

The problem is that I can't get the next 2 versions to work. SFC1 is a DirectX 6 game, and works just fine in Windows 7. SFC2 is a DirectX 7 game, and SFC3 is DirectX 8.1. Both of them complain that their version of DirectX isn't installed, and simply refuse to run. I've tried making virtual machines with Windows XP and Windows 98SE to run them, but Windows XP only has DirectX 9 available, which gives the same results, and I can't patch up the Windows 98SE virtual to even install DirectX 7 or 8.

Even better is that the maker of these games, Interplay, closed up shop. They were too incompetent to support their games even before they closed up shop, so I don't think I'll be getting any help from them.

Does anyone have any suggestions on getting this to work?

 

[eightdrunkengods]

Did you mess around with the game config files? I have to do this every now and then to get a game to run at a resolution higher than it's "supposed" to (ex: World of Goo at 1920x1080). People also did this to force Crysis to run in DirectX9 mode.

There might be a setting that says something like "AllowOtherDirectXVersion=False" (that exact phrase will not be in there, but you get the point). If you look at the configuration file for SFC1, it might give you some hints as to what to look for with 2 and 3.

You should probably somehow backup your config files before you try this. Also: If the game keeps reverting the file to stock, make it read only to force it to keep your changes.

 

[dgingeri]

I was unable to find any readable configuration file for these games. There was a file that looked like it would be a config file, but it looks like it is a format that is not meant to read by humans. I was unable to adjust it manually at all.

 

[axelcyril]

Starfleet Command Game-play consists of action one's address to access adversary ships and advance them in the areas area assorted systems and ship's bouncer are vulnerable. It as well consists of accomplishing assorted added objectives defined in mission assignments, which are provided at the alpha of anniversary scenario.

 

[eightdrunkengods]

I was unable to find any readable configuration file for these games. There was a file that looked like it would be a config file, but it looks like it is a format that is not meant to read by humans. I was unable to adjust it manually at all.

That was my only reasonable suggestion.