Yet another Exile / Windows 10 thread!

[chrlpolk]

I've spent all night checking threads and not one time could I find this particular problem.

 

I have Windows 10, but I'm using Oracle VirtualBox 6.0.  I downloaded Exile: Escape From The Pit.  It unpacks fine.  When I start it, the picture comes up, the cursor becomes a sword, and a chordal tone plays.  Instead of going to the menu, the screen turns white and the game freezes.  I let it stay for 20 minutes, thinking maybe it'll unfreeze if I wait long enough.  But no!

 

I've repeated this experiment on Windows 98, XP 32-bit system (which I used to play this game on back when I had a registered copy), and a Windows Vista, to no avail.  I've attempted all kinds of messing with the resolution, colors, compatibility and permissions.  Does anyone know of the magic settings to get this to work on VirtualBox?  All the suggestions I see regarding Windows 10 issues recommend that program, but I'm not seeing anyone having this specific problem.

[Unbound Servile]

I'd suggest you avoid using VirtualBox whenever possible. I have to use VirtualBox for my studies as an engineer. Hopefully, I'll never have to use it again after I graduate. Nonetheless, Future Cop L.A.P.D. (a game from 1998) runs fine on my 64-bit Windows 10, with the right compatibility settings.

Out of curiosity, I just tried to install Exile III on my Windows 10. As I suspected, the installer won't run, which was also the case for Future Cop.
So I booted up an ancient Windows machine, installed Exile III and copied the files over to my Windows 10 machine.
The game seems to run with Windows XP SP2 compatiblity mode, 16-bits reduced color mode and with administrator privileges on my 64-bit Windows 10 machine.

Interestingly enough, these are exactly the same compatibilty settings Future Cop requires to run. I'd suggest you try this method.
It's possible you'll need DirectX 9 in order to play old games, I can't be sure since I installed it long ago anyway because I need the DX9 SDKs.

Make sure DirectPlay is enabled (instructions from Google):

1. Open Run(WinKey + R) > Enter “Control Panel” > click OK> Programs and Features / Uninstall a Program.
2. In the right sidebar click “Turn Windows features on or off” > Double click Legacy Components > Check Direct Play > Restart Your PC to complete the directly download.

If you're set on using VirtualBox, please make sure hardware virtualization is enabled in the bios. If not, VirtualBox might run, but you will run into trouble.
 

Edited September 30, 2019 by Unbound Servile

[chrlpolk]

Good news is:  Exile 3 and Blades of Exile work in the VirtualBox!

 

Bad news:  Exile 1 & 2 do not.  So it's something different in the way these two games start up which causes the freeze.  Note that the Character Editors for these games comes up with no issue, and although I have no saved game I can navigate the menus without issue, so it is specifically something that happens after the picture and tone at launch.

 

Even after copying files over to Windows 10 and using compatibility mode as you suggested, it unfortunately did not work on any of the titles.  "This app can't run on your PC".    DX9 won't install on Windows 10, either; I did go ahead and install it in my VM although that had no impact.

 

Very unfortunate because I loved Spiderweb Software in the early 2000's, and I honestly prefer these Exile games to the newer Avernum series.  Six characters to a party reminds me more of Gold Box games, and sure, it's probably all just nostalgia.

 

I read somewhere about using a Windows 3.x in DOSBox.  I'll admit my ignorance but I'll try to pull up info on that and see what happens.

Edited October 1, 2019 by chrlpolk

[Unbound Servile]

2 hours ago, chrlpolk said:

Good news is:  Exile 3 and Blades of Exile work in the VirtualBox!

 

Great!
 

2 hours ago, chrlpolk said:

Even after copying files over to Windows 10 and using compatibility mode as you suggested, it unfortunately did not work on any of the titles.  "This app can't run on your PC".    DX9 won't install on Windows 10, either; I did go ahead and install it in my VM although that had no impact.

What surprises me is that Windows messages you that the game can't run on your PC. I only get that message when I try to run incompatible installers, but both Future Cop and Exile III just crashed on me when I tried to launch the executables without the required compatibility settings. I must admit I'm using a PC "modified" for programming; it's likely I have certain settings or software packages installed that are required to play both games on Windows 10.

[chrlpolk]

Well, now I'm frustrated.

 

I sat down with Exile 3 and went to create a party.  I had tinkered with it earlier but didn't have time to really dig in.  This time, the game froze.  So I restarted and after clicking off the "tip of the day" popup, I got the white screen.  Restarted again, and now I'm getting the white screen straight off.  That's happening everytime now.

 

HOW HOW HOW does something work and then suddenly not????

 

I already spent one night in frustration, I'll save this for another day.  Man, I wish Mr. Vogel would pull a GOG on these Exile games, I would legit pay for them all over again.

[chrlpolk]

Confirmed:  Works in DOSBox through Windows 3.1

 

Windows 3.1 is a very early dos-based 16-bit Windows.  There are very detailed instructions online for how to install in DOSBox.  (The only issue I had was on the step to update the video driver, I had to exit Windows and type "setup.exe" in the Windows directory.)  I was able to get a copy of Windows 3.1 in a certain "Internet Archive", a cool org, just Google it!

 

Just created a party in Exile 1 and getting ready for a quick long night!

[Jeremy]

Hi!

 

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I've just found a way to run Exile 1-3 without an emulator using winevdm:

 

https://github.com/otya128/winevdm

 

You'll need to download the latest version from https://ci.appveyor.com/project/otya128/winevdm

 

Click on "Environment: THIS_BUILD_IS_RECOMMENDED__VCXPROJ_BUILD=1", then on "Artifacts", then on "otvdm-master-xxxx.zip"

 

Once the file has finished downloading, just unzip it to a place of your choosing. Run "otvdmw.exe", navigate to the Exile 1, 2, 3 folder, and open either Exile.exe, Exile2.exe, Exile3.exe. You can also just drag and drop the Exile.exe, Exile2.exe or Exile3.exe onto "otvdm.exe".

 

You can also create shortcuts. For example, lets say you have Exile3.exe in the folder "D:\16bit\Exile3" and otvdm.exe in "D:\16bit\otvdm-master". Right-click on the Desktop, select "New - Shortcut" and when asked for the location of the item, type "D:\16bit\otvdm-master\otvdm.exe" "D:\16bit\Exile3\exile3.exe" (quotes included) and click "Next". Give it an appropriate name, say "Exile3" and click "Finish". To give the shortcut a nice icon, right click on it and choose "Properties". Navigate to the Exile3 folder and choose "Exile3.ico". Click "OK" then "Apply". You can also do the same for Exile and Exile 2.

 

I hope this is helpful!

 

 

[Unbound Servile]

On 10/1/2019 at 11:20 AM, chrlpolk said:

I sat down with Exile 3 and went to create a party.  I had tinkered with it earlier but didn't have time to really dig in.  This time, the game froze.  So I restarted and after clicking off the "tip of the day" popup, I got the white screen.  Restarted again, and now I'm getting the white screen straight off.  That's happening everytime now.

A common issue. Try setting the graphics controller to vboxsvga. If you still get whitescreens, try vboxvga.
Turning off both 2D and 3D acceleration might also help.

Edited October 2, 2019 by Unbound Servile

[Thaeris]

I am making a blatantly ignorant post here, but perhaps my musings have enough merit for someone to try out:

 

Does someone here run SheepShaver or Basilisk II on Windows 10? SheepShaver and Basilisk II are Macintosh emulators. You can in fact (last time I checked, at least) download the whole of MacOS 7 directly from Apple, and the rest of the guts needed for the emulation come with the emulator download. Perhaps trying a different emulation route may solve some of the problems which I continually read about people having with Windows 10.

 

...On a side note, trying out a Mac emulator might introduce you to new things. One of the classic RPGs which was never made for Windows was Odyssey: The Legend of Nemesis. The game runs very well on SheepShaver, complete with its musical score. It was also a game which Jeff himself spoke very highly of back in the day. Just a thought.

[Unbound Servile]

5 hours ago, Thaeris said:

Does someone here run SheepShaver or Basilisk II on Windows 10? SheepShaver and Basilisk II are Macintosh emulators.

 

Running Mac OS, under emulation or not, on a Windows machine is illegal. It's also quite a hassle, to say the least. On top of that, you won't get Mac OS running without third-party software. Illegal third-party software.

 

5 hours ago, Thaeris said:

You can in fact (last time I checked, at least) download the whole of MacOS 7 directly from Apple.

 

I would be very suprised if that's true. I can't find any downloads for MacOS 7 from Apple though. Also, Mac OS 'Rock Solid' 7, was by far the worst edition of Mac OS classic. I'd go for System 9 if you want to emulate Mac OS classic per sé.

 

5 hours ago, Thaeris said:

... and the rest of the guts needed for the emulation come with the emulator download.

 

This is false. The guides for both emulators you mentioned state clearly that extra software is required. The ROM file is one such example, and I'm afraid that will be hard to come by.

 

Anyhow, I don't have many issues getting old games working on Windows 10. Exile III runs fine on my machine and I found a post from someone who claims to have Exile III running on their Windows machine as well. (http://spiderwebforums.ipbhost.com/topic/22284-windows-10-and-exile-3).
That other game I mentioned, Future Cop L.A.P.D., is a similar situation; some people get it running, and some don't. I would very much like to hear from others who can run old, 16-bit era games on Windows 10 without much ado. I hope to find out exactly what settings and software packages are required to run old games on 64-bit versions of Windows 10.

Edited October 3, 2019 by Unbound Servile

[Thaeris]

Well, I have never heard of running a Mac emulator as being illegal. My apologies for suggesting an improper course of action if that is indeed the case.

 

I will also confirm that I don't see an easy way of getting OS7 from Apple as of this time, but from past experience, I will say that was the case at one point in time.

 

I will conclude that my statements from past experience are true, though the current state of affairs may have changed things. Again, pardon my intrusion - I will comment no further.

[chrlpolk]

3 hours ago, Thaeris said:

Well, I have never heard of running a Mac emulator as being illegal. My apologies for suggesting an improper course of action if that is indeed the case.

 

I will also confirm that I don't see an easy way of getting OS7 from Apple as of this time, but from past experience, I will say that was the case at one point in time.

 

Emulation in general is of sketchy legality, but Apple has been very specific about proprietorship.  If you own a copy, it's difficult to claim it's illegal to install it on any device, but it is a violation of Apple's EULA, for whatever weight that would carry.  Don't want to find yourself on the wrong end of the Human Centipede!

 

I don't recall Apple doing such giveaways on their OS's, but there is an "Internet Archive", a cool org, you can Google.  They carry ISO's to various older and hard-to-acquire operating systems.

 

I, too, am curious to know which programs, drivers, Windows updates, etc. cause these games not to work on Windows 10 for many of us!  I mean, I've been told why it doesn't work for me, I am just curious why it works for others using the same OS.

[Slawbug]

23 hours ago, Unbound Servile said:

Also, Mac OS 'Rock Solid' 7, was by far the worst edition of Mac OS classic.

 

Them's fightin' words.

[Ess-Eschas]

20 hours ago, chrlpolk said:

I don't recall Apple doing such giveaways on their OS's,

 

I can confirm that Apple used to do this, at least until some years ago. They used to host system 7.5.3 on their website – with the corresponding update to 7.5.5. It was very convenient, actually, since it made emulation much easier.

 

As for why system 7 was of interest, it was the last classic OS that was released by Apple for free (and, I believe, could be freely distributed too). With the release of later updates, and later major releases, Apple started to use a slightly different tactic and started charging. That's why emulating system 9 is a slightly trickier standpoint than earlier versions of system 7.

 

For the record, I can confirm that all of the Exile games run like an absolute dream on Mac OS 7.5.5, emulated under SheepShaver. To back myself up here, I do also own several period Mac Desktop machines that run several classic OSes natively – and still work really rather well!

 

On 10/3/2019 at 2:09 AM, Unbound Servile said:

I'd go for System 9 if you want to emulate Mac OS classic per sé.

 

That depends a little on what exactly you want to emulate. For instance, 'Harry the Handsome Executive', which was released in 1997, breaks somewhat under system 9 – the MIDI files link to the wrong instruments, making the soundtrack sound peculiar, and several effects (such as the ripple effect used to simulate underwater levels) don't parse at all. From a purely system-based standpoint, it might be better to work with Mac OS versions close to the releases of whatever you want to emulate.

 

On 10/3/2019 at 8:29 PM, Thaeris said:

Again, pardon my intrusion - I will comment no further.

 

Don't worry, Thaeris. You meant no harm, and emulation is a tricky point – I'm sure you had no intention of suggesting anything untoward!