Xcom Apoc Win 2k Solution

[Guest Cheshire]

[Copyright: You are free to reproduce or modify this text, but only as long as you preserve this copyright notice and the anti-piracy disclaimer below]

 

As I mentioned, last week I finally got XCom Apoc to run on a Win2k setup. I'm not a guru so I'm not sure exactly what finally made it work. I'll tell the whole story, and hopefully y'all can figure out what else you need to do.

 

[Disclaimer: I am strongly opposed to piracy, and actually own 2 copies of X-Com 3. However, since I can't get the installer to run under Win2k, I ended up downloading. I encourage all of you to buy it. If you're willing to go through this, you obviously like it, and it's not that expensive.]

 

Here's what I did.

 

1) My first problem was that I couldn't get the installer to run. I downloaded the main package (ftp://195.168.30.249/3/xcom3.html). I copied the maps folder from my cd, as I still don't trust the maps. Then, I downloaded the following:

 

a) Downloaded the no-cd fix from this site (http://www.xcomufo.com/xcom3fix.zip)

Downloaded VDMSound and the VDMSound launchpad (http://ntvdm.cjb.net/), installed them, and restarted. Theoretically, VDMSound should handle soundblaster emulation, vesa support, and low-level cd-drive support.

c) Downloaded the SVGA fix from this site (although I can't find it here any more)

d) Downloaded the mouse2kv "trapped mouse corner fix" from Vogons (http://vogons.zetafleet.com/showthread.php?threadid=1059)

 

2) Then, I set everything up as follows:

 

a) Added a "SAVEGAME" folder inside my xcom working directory

 

Ran the SVGA fix apps inside my UFOEXE and TACEXE directories

 

c) Set up VDMS (by choosing "run with vdmsound from the right mouse click, then choosing set up a custom configuration"). I chose

-Enable basic VESA support

-Enable low-level CD-Rom support

-Turned off joystick emulation

-Under Advanced/Dos Environment - Files=40 and Buffers=40

-Under Advanced/Soundblaster - 220/7/1/2.01 (Soundblaster 2.0)/5 and output - Crystal soundfusion (emulated)

 

d) I successfully ran setup.exe and saved a soundblaster 220/7/1 configuration (without testing it)

 

e) I edited the line of my xcom3.bat file that read "fakecd .. <foo> >nul" to read "fakecd .. <bar> >nul", where <foo> is whatever was there in the first place and <bar> was the actual path c:\whatever to my xcom working directory (no brackets).

 

f) I created a 1 line text file "xcom.cfg" which contained the path to my xcom working directory

 

g) I tried running the program, but kept getting CVGA card not found errors. I downloaded a fresh copy of the display drivers from my computer's manufacturer, and tried turning down hardware acceleration to the middle notch. (And turned my screen down to 256 colors). One of these seemed to solve the problem.

 

h) At that point, I tried running xcom3.bat with VDMSound (by choosing run with VDMSound on my right click menu) and got xcom to run, but got the mouse trapped in the upper left corner. I was very excited, because that was the one problem I knew how to fix.

 

i) I unpacked the mouse2kv fix (see above for link) into my xcom working directory and edited the xcom3.bat file to replace:

 

xcomapoc.exe SKIP

 

- with-

 

mouse2kv.exe 640 480 8 8 xcomapoc.exe SKIP

 

Result: it now works, including sound. I have not tried music, and the program has locked a few times when I leave it unattended for several minutes (I've tried turning off the screensaver, but don't think it helps). Otherwise, it's completely functional.

 

I don't know which parts of this actually helped, and which parts are superstition. I also don't know if it will work with your set-up, but I'd love to hear how you do.