Games Tips & Tricks/GAMESTIPSUNDTRICKS.mdf/utility/w95/win95gam.hlp

Text File | 1995-08-22 | 23KB | 487 lines

            A Brief Guide to Gaming
                 in
                 Windows 95

                by
               James Wilson (aka Shade)
                 Cserve:  73651,2312









DISCLAIMER:  The author of this guide presents the following in the
hopes that it will help those using Windows 95 to make the most of
their gaming experience, or help those considering Windows 95 to
get a better picture of what itÆs capabilities are.  The following
information was gleaned from about 4 months of regular use of two of
the Final Beta Versions of Windows 95.  The system used for testing
was a Gateway 2000 Pentium 90 with 24mb of ram, a quad-speed CD-ROM
drive, a Diamond Stealth 64 2mb VRAM video card, 2 EIDE hard drives,
a 14400 modem, and a 16-bit network card.  Differing systems may come
up with differing results, the final commercial release of Win95 may
behave differently from the Beta version.  In other words, this guide
should not be considered to be the final word, but more like some
handy advice from someone who has been there.  However, I must also
mention that many of the results, barriers, and solutions I have come
up with were echoed in the September issue of æComputer Gaming WorldÆ
in which they mention the setup problems they ran into with various
games.  I have every reason to believe that Windows 95 will behave
similarly on a variety of systems.






Index

  Intro

  1.  Me and Windows 95

  2.  The Tools of Win95

        I.  Shortcuts
             a.  What are they?
             b.  How do they work?
             c.  How do I make one?

       II.  The Properties Menu
              a. General Menu
      b.  Program Menu
      c.  Font Menu
      d.  Memory Menu
      e.  Screen Menu
      f.  Misc. Menu

        III.  Running Games!
      a.  Games that Just Run
      b.  Win95 Tweaking
      c.  MS-Dos Mode

       IIII.  Creating a Place for Your Games
      a.  Creating a Folder of Games
      b.  Adding Your DOS Games to the Start Menu
      c.  Creating a Desktop Icon

  3.  Specific Cases

    Doom            Nascar Racing        Tie Fighter
    Doom 2                Full Throttle        Aces of the Deep
    Rise of the Triad    Wing Commander III    Lemmings
    Terminal Velocity    Magic Carpet        Epic Pinball
    Descent                Hi Octane        Links386
    Dark Forces        FX Fighter        Witchhaven (demo)
    Heretic            Wings of Glory            Simcity 2000
    Strike Commander    Master of Orion            Mechwarrior 2
    Wolf            Master of Magic            Uss Ticonderoga
    X-com 1&2        Armored Fist        Apache (demo)
    Fade to Black (demo)


Intro



    This guide is for introducing people to gaming under Win95,
what itÆs like, some hints on how to do it, and to help you decide
whether you should bother at all.  IÆll start off saying that:  WIN95
IS COMPATIBLE WITH DOS APPLICATIONS!  INCLUDING GAMES!  This is not
your GrandmaÆs Windows.  It has been specifically designed with gaming
in mind.  With that said, IÆll get started.






                      *Me and Windows 95*


    Now IÆm sure a great many of you out there have already formed
opinions and stances on Windows 95.  If you are involved in any small
way in the computer market than it is as impossible not to form such
views as it is not to take a side on the OJ case if you live in America.
Even if you donÆt have an opinion on it, you do.
    I did anyway.
    Eight months back, around Christmas, when it was announced that
Win95 would be delayed (yet again) until the end of the summer I had
quite a few four-letter opinions.  I felt that it would be a travesty
on the computer market, a idiotizing of computers to the point that all
current users would be patronized just to please a few squeamish newbies.
I felt that there so-called ædeath of DOSÆ would be more akin to the
death of computer gaming, at least the quality gaming that we knew and
loved.  WeÆd all be reduced to the limitations of Windows, playing games
that a æSuper NintendoÆ could put to shame until the hardware got to the
point that it could force the sluggish operating system to do something
other than hang at every sound effect and GPF all the time.
    So youÆll probably be surprised to hear that when I had the
opportunity to be a Beta Tester for Win95 a few months later I jumped
at the chance.  But IÆll get back to that.
    Now you are probably waiting for me to start gushing all over
the place.  Sorry, not going to do it.  Was Win95 the disappointment that
I thought it would be?  No, it wasnÆt.  Was Win95 everything I could have
ever hoped of from an OS?  Almost.  IÆm going to say it:  Win95 is an
excellent, well thought out gaming platform.  I honestly wouldnÆt be writing
this if using Win95 didnÆt change my viewpoint 180 degrees.  I have enjoyed
Win95 a great deal, and it has made computing for me a much simpler and
more efficient (productive?  NONONONONO!  I wonÆt use that word!  Never
that word!) affair.  Gaming under Win95 is a dream come true.  But I donÆt
want to gush, I want you to read on.  Everything listed here are specific
examples of what it is like to run games on Win95, what kind of time and
tweaking it took me.  The pros, cons, and compatibility of it all.  Then
and only then should you start to make up your mind as to whether my
positive opinion of Win95 is well-founded.
    So why did I test Win95 in the first place?  Because I was curious.
I wanted to let it prove that it could be my next operating system, the first
alternative that IÆve ever truly had in the world of IBM-compatible computing.
It brings new problems with it, but I think that most of that comes from
trying to learn new solutions.  Anyone whose ever tried to make a boot disk
for Wing Commander III will want to welcome Win95 with open arms.





                           *The Tools of Win95*


    The following section is meant to orient you with the tools that
will become common to anyone using Win95 to play games regularly.  This
section also contains the methods available for running games under Win95,
and how to go about doing so.


I.  Shortcuts


    Shortcuts will probably be your most frequently used Win95 tool
for DOS games.  A shortcut is exactly what it sounds like, a quick way to
get to something, be that a folder, executable file (like doom2.exe that
starts up Doom 2), or an actual document of some kind.  Shortcuts can be
placed almost anywhere within Win95, even directly on the desktop.
    In techno-speak a Shortcut is a .PIF file.  Some users of Windows
3.1 will be familiar with what a .PIF file is, but most of us arenÆt (I only
have a working knowledge of it).  Basically it is a series of instructions
for the computer to follow to initiate a program.  In Windows 3.11 and earlier
.PIF files were created using the .PIF editor, and were a little on the
technical side to create.
    In Win95 .PIF files are also called shortcuts and are as simple to
create as pushing a button or two.  They are the main means you will use to
start all your DOS games, as they are basically a set of instructions for
Win95 to follow to get your DOS game up and running.  This can be as simple
as right-clicking on the program you want and choosing the æcreate shortcutÆ
option and then just clicking on the shortcut youÆve created, or it could be
as complex as defining an entirely custom Autoexec.bat and Config.sys
specifically to run that program.  It usually falls on the simpler side, and
I have not yet been forced to specify any custom configurations.  Shortcuts
create their own settings when they are brought into existence, so it is only
a matter of you scanning over its choices and deciding whether or not you agree.

    :)  Again, using Doom 2 as an example, if you wanted to set up a shortcut for
     Doom 2 simply go to the Doom 2 folder using Explorer or the æMy ComputerÆ
     icon and right click on the file that gets Doom 2 going, which is doom2.exe.
    It is typical for most DOS games to have an .EXE file to start them, although
    some have a .BAT file.  If you are unsure just look in the games directory
    for a file with the command name you type to start the game, followed by a
    .BAT or .EXE extension.  This is most likely the file that starts the game.

    There are two primary ways of creating a shortcut.  The first is to right-click
on the programs executable file as mentioned above, the other is to right-click-drag
the program to wherever you want the Shortcut to be and then choose æcreate shortcutÆ
from the subsequent pop-up menu.  It is a very simple procedure that will only have
to be done once to get the hang of it.

    :)  Say you want that shortcut to Doom 2 youÆve created to be right on your
     desktop where you can get at it.  Well, just right-click and drag that doom2.exe
    to your desktop, let the button go and then choose æcreate shortcutÆ from the
    menu that pops up.  Your shortcut will appear on the desktop and youÆll be
    ready to go.


II.  The Properties Menu


    The Properties Menu is where you define all the variables that make up a
completed Shortcut.  You can pull up your properties menu by right-clicking on the
shortcut and selecting æpropertiesÆ.  A box will pop up that contains several tabs
that allow you to consult several submenus of the shortcut.  If this is starting to
sound complicated donÆt worry.  ItÆs not.  Most of the submenus are self-explanatory,
and half of them youÆll probably never touch.  Some of the functions of these menus
I have not used yet, so I will only skim over the purposes of these menus, for a
complete listing of all the functions of these menus pick up the current issue of
PC Gamer (current as of this writing 8/20/95, I believe the September issue with
the Longbow attack Helicoptor on the cover).  It has an excellent article on Win95
and gaming that explains extensively the functions of these menus.  Listed below
are the menus and there general functions.

    -General Menu

    This menu gives you an extensive list of the files properties.  Since a
properties menu can be pulled up for almost any file this menu will tell you the
type of file, location, size, dates that it was created, modified and accessed,
and attributes.  There is almost nothing on this menu that you can alter.

    -Program Menu

    This menu is used to define the command line that is used on the program
to activate it, as well as define shortcuts to the file or program, batch files,
and the state with which to begin the program running (in a normal window, as
opposed to minimized or maximized).  This Menu also includes the æChange IconÆ
button that allows you to change the icon that represents the shortcut.  There
is also the very important æAdvancedÆ button.  This button brings up the æAdvanced
Program SettingsÆ which allow you to state that the program not be allowed to
detect Windows (some DOS games will refuse to run if they detect Windows in the
background), or that the program be run in æMS-DOS ModeÆ (to learn more about
MS-DOS mode see Section III ôRunning Gamesö).  This is also the place where you
can specify a custom Autoexec.bat and Config.sys for programs that need special
tweaking in MS-DOS mode.





    -Font Menu

    This is the menu where you choose what fonts are available to your DOS
program.  It has little if no importance to gaming.

    -Memory Menu

    This is the menu where you define the amounts and types of memory to give
to your DOS program.  I have never had to touch this menu, as Win95 configures its
memory automatically, and will do so for your program when you start it.  If you
have to play with the settings in this section try setting the extended (or expanded)
memory to equal the amount of memory that you actually have available.  IÆve heard
this solves many if not all memory problems.

    -Screen Menu

    This is where you define your screen characteristics.  The only thing that
I ever modify on this screen is setting the window size to æfull screenÆ.  Most DOS
games will not run in a window on the desktop, so Win95 allows them to bypass the
GUI and access the video hardware directly (this is a simplified explanation),
running them full screen and pretty much the exact same way they would look and
run in DOS.  Win95 will automatically switch these games to full screen when they
are started up, but it is usually a good idea to go ahead and tell it to run the
program like that from the beggining, as I have experienced that some programs
relinquish there hold on the graphical interface while loading data to change
from one section of the game to the other.  Sometimes this will cause Win95 to
reclaim the display, and your desktop will appear momentarily while you wait.
This tends to slow things down, and can sometimes even confuse games to the point
that they will lock up.  Turning on the æfull screenÆ switch generally prevents this.

    -Misc. Menu

    This menu allows you access to several other functions including mouse,
pasting, and screen saver options.  Most of this is not important for running DOS
games, but three things are.  The first is the æAlways SuspendÆ button.  Turn this
off.  I honestly donÆt remember the exact reasons why, but having it on can possibly
cause a little slowdown.  The æidle sensitivityÆ lever controls how much and often
Win95 will try to steal the CPU away from the game during idle time.  For maximum
speed set the lever to the lowest selection possible.  The last function that you
can use are the Windows shortcut keys, or hot keys.  The two important ones to
remember are æCTRL-ESCÆ, this minimizes the program you are in and allows you
access to your desktop.  The other is ALT-ENTER, which allows you access to the
properties menu of the program you are in.

    :)  IÆm sure all of you net-surfers will be jealous to hear that I often
    use æCTRL-ESCÆ to jump out of Doom or Tie Fighter so I can see how a
    particularly long and boring download is progressing, or to check on
    the status of a print job that is running simultaneously in the background.
    Just one of the advantages of a good multi-tasking OS, and thereÆs no
    slowdown in my game! (unless IÆm printing AND downloading, then there
    is a little drag).


III.  Running Games!

    Running games under Win95 is an easy prospect for the most part.  Over
half of the games listed later in this guide needed little or no tweaking at all
to run, but there are a few stragglers that demand to have there own way with things.
For that reason Win 95 offers a few different ways that you can start games up.
    Of course the first option would be to play around with your settings.
Shortcuts are easy to create, never forget, and are small enough that you can copy
them at will, and basically mess around with them forever.  They are simple and menu
driven to the point that no level of tweaking can match the pains of any one of dozens
of potential DOS problems.
    But what if your game wonÆt run even then?  Well that is where MS-DOS mode
comes in.  MS-DOS mode (also known as single-application mode) is a lot like what
it sounds.  You exit Win 95, shutting down all programs running and start up your
MS-DOS program all with a simple double-click on the shortcut.  Admittedly this
takes longer than just starting a game right up in Win95, but not nearly as long
as exiting Windows 3.1, moving to the right directory, and typing in the games
start command.  And when you consider that you can specify your own configuration
for every Shortcut that goes to MS-DOS mode you are saving even more time.  ThatÆs
right, the disadvantage to MS-DOS mode is that is has the limits of DOS, namely
good old Autoexec.bat and Config.sys.  The days of Memory Managers are not over!
It can be even MORE difficult to get a good amount of memory in MS-DOS mode.  I have
been lucky enough that most of my memory intensive games have worked fine in Win95,
but if you are having problems getting enough memory I highly recommend that you pick
up a copy of QEMM, QuarterdeckÆs excellent memory manager, and make sure that it is
in your Autoexec.bat and Config.sys that are used to go into MS-DOS mode.  DonÆt be
too afraid of MS-DOS mode.  Win95 will take a prefab .sys and .bat and specify them
as your working configurations.  These have worked very well for me and I have never
had to modify them.
    The last option, for those who are having no end of problems, is to press
F4 while you are booting the system up.  This will give you the option to go into
an older version of DOS so that you can run your game the way it was intentionally
meant to be run.  You must, however, reboot the system to go back into Win95.
    So Win95 offers a variety of ways, at a minimum of inconvenience, to play
your games, one is sure to work.


IIII.  Creating a Place for Your Games

    This section contains a couple of hints that make your games easier to
manage, and your HD easier to monitor.
    The way that I set my system up was I created a folder directly on my desktop
by right-clicking on the desktop, moving over the ænewÆ option and then selecting
æfolderÆ.  I then created shortcuts to all of my games in this folder, and renamed
everything appropriately.  I then dragged this folder to the æStartÆ button on the
taskbar.  I now had a folder on my desktop that kept me a simple double-click away
from a list of all my games.  This also allows me to monitor what is still sitting
on my HD, better never getting played.  Nothing gets to hide in a back corner taking
up precious space!  And if you donÆt like that folder on your desktop, by dragging
it to the æStartÆ button you recreate the folder there were you can access your games
through the convenient and omnipresent button.  You can then create a shortcut to that
folder and place that shortcut on your desktop.  This will allow you to change the
icon, since you canÆt change the icon for just one folder, itÆs an all or nothing
deal, but you can create a shortcut that does the same thing.  These are just some
suggestions.  There is almost no end to the degree you can go to customize your
filing system.




                              *Specific Cases*



    This section deals with all of the games that I have personally tried on
Win95.  They are listed below with a description of the actions that I had to take
to get them running, as well as a listing of the estimated time it took to get the
game up and running, and performance notes.  Most of these games were played fairly
extensively, but a few have only been fiddled with.  I will indicate the games that
have not been thoroughly tested.  So here they are in no particular order:


-Doom 1 & 2    I figured IÆd start with an obvious one.  Doom 1 & 2 were as simple
 Heretic-    to run as creating a shortcut or even simply double-clicking on there
        .EXE files. Initial load time is a little slower, as well as loading
        up the first actual level, but after that it runs superbly.  Every
        bit as fast as it runs in DOS with no hang ups.
        Estimated Setup Time:  30 seconds

-Rise of the    Same deal as Doom.  ItÆs only a double-click away.
 Triad-        Estimated Setup Time:  30 seconds

-Terminal    Considering this game will basically be re-released as a Win95 game
 Velocity-    entitled æFury3Æ it better run well.  No tweaking at all, ran nice and
        smooth.
        Estimated Setup Time:  30 seconds

-Full        Full Throttle did not want to run initially because it detected Windows.  I
 Throttle-    went into the æAdvanced Program SettingsÆ under the Program Menu in its
         properties sheet and told it not to detect Windows.  It ran perfectly after
        that.
        Estimated Setup Time:  3-4 minutes

-Nascar-    Nascar was the first real problem that I ran into.  First off, I had to
        create a .BAT file so that I could start Nascar in high res (it requires
        the command parameter -h attached onto the end of the normal typed command
        line, i.e. ænascar -hÆ).  So I created the batch file ænascar -hÆ.  At
        first it didnÆt want to run (Win95 usually suggests MS-DOS mode when it
        thinks a program wonÆt run well), but then I switched its screen option
        to æfull screenÆ and this seemed to do the trick.  The problem was that
        it seemed a little slow. My roommate said it was my imagination, but I
        know my racinÆ sim, and I like it fast and smooth.  I changed it to run
        in æMS-DOS modeÆ and it worked wonderfully with the configuration provided.
        No slowdown whatsoever.
        Estimated Setup Time:  45 minutes including playtesting, 10 minutes of
        actual configuring.

-Tie Fighter-    Just run it.  It runs great in Win95.
        Estimated setup time:  30 seconds (getting tired of that)

-Aces of the    Another one that you can start right up.
 Deep-        Estimated setup time:  guess

-Magic        MS-DOS mode all the way!  It runs in Win95, but its incredably slow.
 Carpet-    ItÆs the only game IÆve run into that experiences such extreme slowdown.
        EST:  5 minutes

-Descent-    Spelunkers rejoice!  Descent (like most DOS Protected mode games) runs
        without a hitch.
        EST:  30 seconds

-Wing        Surely the mighty WC3 needs tons of configuring.  Right?  Big game like
 Commander    that?  Probably spend all night, if not all weekend trying to get it to run,
 III-        and then it would probably still run slowly.  It started up the first time,
        ran every bit as quickly as it did under DOS.
        EST:  30 Seconds

-Links386-    While Links ran fine under Win95 I have never been able to get the sound
        to, well, sound good.  It is scratchy and loud and pretty much not
        discernable as anything other than loud scratches.  Running the game in
        MS-DOS mode solves this problem.  No custom configuration.
        EST:  5 minutes

-FX Figher-    I had to put this one in DOS mode, but  a friend of mine got it running
        great under Win95.  Forgot to ask him the recipe for that.
        EST:  5 minutes

-X-com 1&2-    Both UFO Defense and Terror from the Deep run very well in Win95,
        although set the screen options to æfull screenÆ as this is a game that has
        that screen problem mentioned in the screen menu section.
        EST:  3-4 minutes

-Wings of
 Glory-        MS-DOS mode, no special configuration.
        EST:  5minutes

-Mechwarrior 2-    Starts up ok, but likes to crash a lot.  Run it in DOS mode to avoid
        this.
        EST:  5 minutes

The Following Games all ran perfectly, with little or no tweaking or apparent slowdown

    Epic Pinball
    Hi Octane
    Dark Forces
    Witchhaven (demo)
    Simcity 2000
    Strike Commander
    Master of Orion
    Wolf
    Master of Magic
    Uss Ticonderoga
    Armored Fist
    Apache (demo)
    Fade to Black (demo)



Outro



    As you can probably see, IÆm very impressed with Win95.  I hope this
guide will help everybody out there interested in gaming on Win95.  I can tell
you itÆs a blast.




*LEGAL NOTE*

This guide may be passed out freely.  If you bought this you are not a wise
individual as no one I know pays me for my opinions.  If you distribute this
guide it must retain the name of the author and its original content unaltered
unless written consent is received from the author allowing any specific alterations.