How to play original Masters of Magic on WIN XP system

Anything else to do with the original Master of Magic
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Hammerhands
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How to play original Masters of Magic on WIN XP system

Post by Hammerhands »

Create the two files CONFIG.NT and AUTOEXEC.NT with notepad or wordpad
and follow the instructions below


File [Config.NT] place in magic directory with magic and wizards.exe

NTCMDPROMPT
EMM=RAM
dos=high, umb
devicehigh=C:\Windows\system32\himem.sys
files=40

File [Autoexec.NT]place in magic directory with magic and wizards.exe

lh %SystemRoot%\system32\redir

REM turn of Windows XP sound blaster 2 support with INVALID set blaster parameter A=0
SET BLASTER=A0
dosdrv

ok now to get it ready to work
INSTALL VDMSound current release is easy to install and you dont paths to launch it
the file command dosdrv will allow for soundbaster support
use INSTALL.exe in MPS\Magic directory to set for sound blaster (original not the PRO)
use A=220 IRQ 7 if you have no printer IRQ 5 if you have a printer do not use IRQ 10 if you have a PCI or AGP video card
right click on magic.exe elect PROPERTIES and open Program tab select Advanced
C:\MPS\MAGIC\AUTOEXEC.NT
C:\MPS\MAGIC\CONFIG.NT
set the PIF files to the new ones now in Magic subdirectory
now be sure to answer OK to save changes to magic.pif
select the MEMORY Tab and set for these options
Conventional Memory -AUTO check Protected box Intial Enviroment 4096
Expanded EMS Memory - Auto
Extended XMS memory - Auto and check Uses HMA [needed for load high of enviroment
MSDOS protected mode DPMI memory - Auto

Save these changes by apply and then ok

repeat the pif and memory settings for wizards.exe
same settings

now manually open a command prompt window and type either magic for intro
or wizards to start savegame9

you should pass the memory requirements and have full audio features and normal play
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Implode
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Post by Implode »

Hmm, I had to try this given that I've never been able to get the original MoM to work in XP, and still no joy. The only way I can get the original MoM to work is using DosBox, through which it works quite well - a little slow, but full sound and I can live with it.

When I tried, to start with I kept getting "The EMM command line in your config.nt contains invalid parameters or syntax errors" but I took this line out, put it back again and now I'm not getting that error. However no matter what I do I still get

"You must have at least 2700K of expanded memory" when I try to actually run the game.

I know there's a problem with emm386 not liking PCs with >512 mb memory, something about the memory allocation table being so large that it won't fit in its allocated space, and my laptop has 1 GB. Do you think that's why this won't work?

Thanks,

Implode.
Hammerhands
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hmm

Post by Hammerhands »

I am just wondering if you set all the parameters in file properties
incl making the .nt files for the mps/magic directory and specifying those files
also you can click load the magic.exe
you MUST open a command prompt
then type magic or wizards
you will get memory allocated and sound on

how ever if you dont have the install setup for audio card correct
you will get a needs 2700 EMS error from a sound profile error
easy way to see this is run install set NONE to both card options
and game will load
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Ortemus
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Post by Ortemus »

I play Master of Magic on XP, same problem...

Change it to no sound - works fine.

-Matt
Hammerhands
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win xp

Post by Hammerhands »

Ortemus wrote:I play Master of Magic on XP, same problem...

Change it to no sound - works fine.

-Matt
I play MOM on xp with sound no problem and I have an AC97 chipset
I use VDMSound utility dosdrv to provide an interface between the program and my hardware. Actually configuring the dos command to provide at least 584k of dos mem is the trickiest. Because if you have a sound setup error you get the NEED 2700k of EXPANDED memory error.
So youll try setup after setup to get the memory when its actually the sound setup thats producing the error.

do a ask.com or google.com search for VDMSound and install it. doesnt matter where it goes dos can load it with no path after install.
follow my instructions making a new CONFIG.NT and AUTOEXEC.NT and editing the magic.exe and wizards.exe PIF info thru the described methods
[post is here somewhere ]

Then open a command prompt do not load by clicking on magic or wizards .exe files.
I default my command prompt to open in MPS\Magic directory if you do not then CD to MPS\Magic directory or where ever MOM is installed.
type magic or wizards to load
the config will load and provide memory
the autoexec will disable the XP soundblaster 2 support and load dosdrv
and start game
if you dont get working game with working sound after setting up to use SOUNDBLASTER not the PRO or any other selection then you have the necessary interupt NOT AVAILABLE in DOS command prompt enviroment.
NIC cards set to IRQ5 and printers on IRQ7 will do that. As far as I can tell only IRQ5 and IRQ 7 will work with this method.
Actually after a game or two the music isnt really all that special so load with no sound and play a CD :)
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Ortemus
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Post by Ortemus »

I read about using VDMsound on XP on other MoM forums. I tried it and everything worked fine until I got into combat. During combat everything started going 'super slow.'

-Matt
Hammerhands
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Post by Hammerhands »

Ortemus wrote:I read about using VDMsound on XP on other MoM forums. I tried it and everything worked fine until I got into combat. During combat everything started going 'super slow.'

-Matt
yup slow it goes when you hit combat feels like a nightmare from the past
"oh no wheres the turbo button?"
xanthus29
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Post by xanthus29 »

You can speed up MoM in Dosbox by using ctrl + F keys to increase the speed and skip frames. I forget which numbers, but read the help for the hotkeys and you'll figure it out.
nazrix
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Post by nazrix »

Sometimes u don't have enough memory because:

Motherboards these days have built in USB mouse and/or keyboard support, and these things use up some of the memory below 512k (or isit 654k or something, can't remember).

So one way of ensuring you have enough memory would be to check thru your BIOS and look out for USB mouse and/or USB keyboard support, and switch it off. Almost all flavours of Windows have built in drivers for these things anyway.
Lord Budweiser
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Post by Lord Budweiser »

MoM will run perfect on dosBox if you edit the config file and set cpu cycles to auto. It works perfectly, almost like on the old Dos. However, the already poor AI seems more depleted when running dosBOX (but the AI seems ok on dosbox 0.58), not sure, but I do really have this impression.
Woo-haa
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Re: How to play original Masters of Magic on WIN XP system

Post by Woo-haa »

Yes you get dont have enough memory at first 27000k or somethinh.

But my mom runs perfectly on Xp without dosbox or making/downloading all the extra files,
all you need to do is to rigth click on magic.exe
Make it run in win 95 with resultion 640 x 480(click on box), and change the memory to Auto on all, dont check any of the boxes on memory.
After you done all this you will see a new icon in your folder MS DOS with the name MAGIC
Click it and happy playing, (it wont work on vista) but then you have dosbox as you allready know
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