U8: Ultima 8 and choppiness

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Hello all,

Some time ago I finally laid my hands on the Ultima-Collection CD.
Now, I got them all to run on my Win9x,AMD 1900+, using the one or the
other way.

However, there's one thing I didn't find any FAQ adressing to it.
I'm running Ultima 8 under dos-box ,and granted it works even with
music,speech and sound effects.

But gameplay is very choppy. Or to put it another way: slow.
After mouseclick,it seems to take a second for my character to move,
and the scrolling also is a pain, but quite fast.

Pushing up the cpu-cycles and trying various configurations didn't
bring any remedy. And the sound is fine, so I don't expect any
speed-issues here.

So I'm wondering if it ought to be like that.
For a game with real-time-combat ,I doubt it very much.
Are the controls really supposed to be so slow-responsive ?
If that's not the case, then maybe I would try to get it to run
properly on my box, someday.

As it is now, I doubt to get any enjoyment from the game.
What's your experience ?


- Peter

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Greetings.

In article <abc9f5a3.0406280828.6f22b981@posting.google.com>, peter amman
wrote:
> I'm running Ultima 8 under dos-box

Uh... why? Is there some reason you're not using a DOS boot disk?

Regards,
Tristan

--
_
_V.-o Tristan Miller [en,(fr,de,ia)] >< Space is limited
/ |`-' -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= <> In a haiku, so it's hard
(7_\\ http://www.nothingisreal.com/ >< To finish what you

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Tristan Miller wrote:

> Greetings.
>
> In article <abc9f5a3.0406280828.6f22b981@posting.google.com>, peter amman
> wrote:
>> I'm running Ultima 8 under dos-box
>
> Uh... why? Is there some reason you're not using a DOS boot disk?

If he has a modern PCI soundcard, the chances are it won't have
decent DOS drivers. If it has any at all.

Also, U8 seems to have problems with large amounts of system
RAM. I find it goes peculiar if the dos extender can see
more than 64MB of memory. (So I use the DRDOS himem.sys which
is crippled..)

>
> Regards,
> Tristan
>

--
JP Morris - aka DOUG the Eagle (Dragon) -=UDIC=- jpm@it-he.org
Fun things to do with the Ultima games http://www.it-he.org
Reign of the Just - An Ultima clone http://rotj.it-he.org
d+++ e+ N+ T++ Om U1234!56!7'!S'!8!9!KAW u++ uC+++ uF+++ uG---- uLB----
uA--- nC+ nR---- nH+++ nP++ nI nPT nS nT wM- wC- y a(YEAR - 1976)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Tristan Miller <psychonaut@nothingisreal.com> wrote in message news:<16257358.SHJG4OaVQF@ID-187157.News.Individual.NET>...

> Uh... why? Is there some reason you're not using a DOS boot disk?

Speaking generally, there's no reason for me to use a DOS boot disk.
It's a hassle IMHO, and not quite worth it.


- Peter

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

"J. P. Morris" <jpm@it-he.org> wrote in message news:<40e084eb$0$39215$ed2619ec@ptn-nntp-reader01.plus.net>...
>
> If he has a modern PCI soundcard, the chances are it won't have
> decent DOS drivers. If it has any at all.

Yes.
I think there's no dos game I can run with sound properly, if
memory serves right.

Hmm, wait, maybe general-midi compatible stuff. But I like the
Adlib-emulation of dos-box a *lot* more, anyway.


- Peter

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

In article <abc9f5a3.0406280828.6f22b981@posting.google.com>, amman923
@hotmail.com says...
> As it is now, I doubt to get any enjoyment from the game.
> What's your experience ?

The game runs very smoothly on a 486. If you don't have a 486, I suggest
using U8Run to play the game (assuming you're running a 9x, although
it's still worth trying if you have an NT).

http://members.iinet.net.au/~rsd/
--
-==[UDIC]==-
http://www.fictionpress.com/~wtcher
Note: This post is composed of 100% post-consumer material.
This birdy likes no spam. :>

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

amman923@hotmail.com (peter amman) wrote in news:abc9f5a3.0406280828.6f22b981
@posting.google.com:

> But gameplay is very choppy. Or to put it another way: slow.
> After mouseclick,it seems to take a second for my character to move,
> and the scrolling also is a pain, but quite fast.
>
> Pushing up the cpu-cycles and trying various configurations didn't
> bring any remedy. And the sound is fine, so I don't expect any
> speed-issues here.

If you have more than 64mb of ram (and you likely do) try making sure that
the dosbox can "see" no more than, say, 8 or 16mb. A lot of dos (and even
early winblows stuff) breaks with the huge memory heaps modern machines have.

I noticed this when i upgraded my machine to a dual-channel 1GB setup...

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Tristan Miller <psychonaut@nothingisreal.com> wrote in
news:16257358.SHJG4OaVQF@ID-187157.News.Individual.NET:

> Greetings.
>
> In article <abc9f5a3.0406280828.6f22b981@posting.google.com>, peter amman
> wrote:
>> I'm running Ultima 8 under dos-box
>
> Uh... why? Is there some reason you're not using a DOS boot disk?
>
> Regards,
> Tristan

Ahhh.... I remember those old days, back when you could play Ultima VIII by
altering the properties menu in the shortcut. You could also play the two
Underworlds perfectly with a bootdisk.
But that was before all that damned voodoo hardware became commonplace.
(not to be confused with Voodoo hardware, which I understand is actually
quite good, though the world seems to have passed it by).


-==Kensu==-

 

[Samurai]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Quoth Chris Schumacher <kensu__@hotmail.com>:
[munch]
>But that was before all that damned voodoo hardware became commonplace.
>(not to be confused with Voodoo hardware, which I understand is actually
>quite good, though the world seems to have passed it by).

*pats his Voodoo 4500 fondly*
--
___________________________________________________________
\^\^//
,^ ( ..) Samurai Dragon -==UDIC Sig Code==-
| \ \ -==(UDIC)==- d++e+N T--Om+U146MA7'! L8u uC++
\ `^--^ \\\\\\\/////// uF-uG++uLB+uA+nC++uR nH+nP+++
\ \ \ (2 Attentive Points) nI--nPT nS+++nT--wM-wC y+ a28
ksj ^--^ ___________________________________________________________

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Dreaming Chris Schumacher woke me up by screaming
news:Xns9519757112B4kensuhotmailcom@206.141.193.32:

>>> I'm running Ultima 8 under dos-box
>>
>> Uh... why? Is there some reason you're not using a DOS boot disk?
>>
>> Regards,
>> Tristan
>
> Ahhh.... I remember those old days, back when you could play Ultima
> VIII by altering the properties menu in the shortcut. You could also
> play the two Underworlds perfectly with a bootdisk.
> But that was before all that damned voodoo hardware became
> commonplace. (not to be confused with Voodoo hardware, which I
> understand is actually quite good, though the world seems to have
> passed it by).

I don't get this. Voodoo hardware not to be confused with Voodoo
hardware?
My interpretation is that you meant the Voodoo software used in U7 first
and then the 3dfx Voodoo cards. If you meant the software then I don't
understand it either, as the voodoo software was only used in U7 and that
was before U8...

--
Dominus Dragon -=UDIC=- aka Dominik Reichardt (Remove NOSPAM to mail)
My homepage with funny content http://Beam.To/Dominik/
Part of the Exult team (Docs/FAQ) http://exult.sourceforge.net/
d++ e+ N+ T+ Om+ U1234!5!67'!S'!8!9!A!WML!K u+ uC+ uF uG uLB----
uA+ nC+ nR nH nP+ nI nPT- nS nT o---- oE-- y a(born 1976)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.games.computer.ultima.series (More info?)

Dominus Dragon <GigDR@NOSPAMtesionmail.de> wrote in
news:Xns9519864056479gigdrtesionmail@140.99.99.130:

> Dreaming Chris Schumacher woke me up by screaming
> news:Xns9519757112B4kensuhotmailcom@206.141.193.32:
>
>>>> I'm running Ultima 8 under dos-box
>>>
>>> Uh... why? Is there some reason you're not using a DOS boot disk?
>>>
>>> Regards,
>>> Tristan
>>
>> Ahhh.... I remember those old days, back when you could play Ultima
>> VIII by altering the properties menu in the shortcut. You could also
>> play the two Underworlds perfectly with a bootdisk.
>> But that was before all that damned voodoo hardware became
>> commonplace. (not to be confused with Voodoo hardware, which I
>> understand is actually quite good, though the world seems to have
>> passed it by).
>
> I don't get this. Voodoo hardware not to be confused with Voodoo
> hardware?

No, voodoo hardware, as in PCI, as in "non-analog sound", as in
"integrated", as in FreeBSD can't communicate with it after a year of
trying. As in Intel's attempts at graphics and sound cards. (q.v. 'no TnL
in our lifetime').
Also some decent sound cards use higher IRQs (I believe 17 is the new
default?), which makes it physically impossible for UU and U8 to
communicate with the cards.


Now, onto the subject of voodoo economics, which involves the Laffer
curve, demonstrated in...anyone, anyone?


-==Kensu==-