Apocalypse Cured!

[spylord]

Found this on usenet and it acutally worked!

 

Here an alternate link for the file

https://www.ktis.net/~kevans/XCOM3_CD.ZIP

 

 

WARNING: I do not condone software piracy of any kind. The following

"trick" must only be used to get a LEGALLY owned copy of X-Com Apocalypse to

work under Windows XP. There are a variety of reasons why one must use this

method - mainly because dual-booting is impossible with your current

hardware configuration, or you do not wish to purchase another OS. This

solution is for the "after viewing or skipping the intro movie, a blinking

cursor briefly appears in the top left corner of the screen, and then

returns the user to Windows with no explanation," from my observations, the

most common Apoc problem. The problem arises from the fact that Windows

doens't like programs to try to directly access drives without going through

Windows.

 

First, you must download the xcom3_cd.zip file.

 

https://one.megagames.com/pcgamefixes/XCOM3_CD.ZIP

 

If for some reason the link above doesn't work, I will be glad to e-mail the

file to whomever needs it. Once downloaded, unzip the file to your

Apocalypse directory. To run the game, use the "Run X-com.bat" file

included with the zip. To get sound to work, go to:

https://vdmsound.sourceforge.net/

 

Download the newest version of VDMSound. After installing it, set up

Apocalypse to use a Sound Blaster, 220, IRQ 7, DMA 1 (the default for SB

emulation under VDMSound). Exit and save from the setup program. Finally,

edit the run x-com.bat file that came with the zip from the first step. Add

the command "dosdrv" on a new line between the "xcom3_cd.com" and

"xcomapoc.exe SKIP" lines. This will invoke a VDMSound session inside the

DOS box of the batch file, which will end when the game is exited.

 

Many thanks to the dedicated users on the WWW forums who realized this

solution. Personally, I've been trying to get this to work for months, and

I'm thrilled it's now possible. I hope this helps others run the game.

Good luck!

[Ki-tat Chung]

wow. long. down this involve the vidio card error in win 9x?

[jeff303]

This is the exact same message I posted in the SUPPORT forum for this site some days ago. I proposed invoking VDMSound into the batch file, and the file itself was discovered by Brattern I believe...

[PHH]

YES IT WORKED !!!!!!!!

 

Finally I can once again play Apocalypse !

 

But just one thing left.

 

How do I increase the mouse speed/sensitivity in Apocalypse under

XP?????

 

 

Thank you

 

Peter

[jeff303]

You can't... at least there's no in-game setting. I suppose the only way to get it to work (since it doesn't communicate with Windows at all) would be to find yet another DOS legacy type emulator, but personally I don't feel like using any more of those on one game.

[KermitTheFragger]

I thought this was common knowledge, on how to get X-Com working under XP.

 

But there's an other problem, my mouse is d*mn slow under X-Com apoc, at this rate ill have RSI by friday

[Brattern]

okay everybody.... i made the fix and to increase mouse speed just open your control panel and open the mouse controlls and move the speed and accelration to max. this should work.(at least with Logitech)

 

everybody have fun with apoc.

 

 

and Thanks Jeff303 for mentioning my name :inlove:

[Jh316]

Didn't see any file called 'Run X-Com.bat', but it works fine anyway when I click on XCom3. I think I'll do the thing with the sound tomorrow.

[Brattern]

right, the file's name is xcom3.bat or x-com3.bat

 

 

and one strange thing, i have to use the cd when i am playing!??! anyone else needs to use the cd???? (just an minor problem)

[Asmodai]

I have to use my cd when i play, it's no prob though

[dwilkie]

I couldn't get the sound to work on mine... Ran the NTVDM (Windows XP) and set up the sound card to the specified parameters but then apoc wouldn't load. If I set it to no sound it works fine I also put the right line in. Oh well, the sound sucks a bit anyway. Got an SB Live! if you were wondering. Also, is there anyway of slowing the game down? Normal time runs about the same speed as triple time on my laptop, though the PC IS a P3 800... Its a bit hard to control though... Just need to slow it down a tad... Plz?

[Asmodai]

Pfff I wish mine would go that fast. Mine's too slow for me.

[Jh316]

Me too. Mine's a Celeron 1.1 Ghz, and it goes fairly slow. Also, all the other sound effects work, but the footsteps and music is static.

[Centauri]

I'm trying to run Apoc under XP and I can't even get it to load. When I hit or run Install, the screen goes black except for a cursor in the corner. I tried the advice listed in the original post, but it didn't do a thing. Advice?

[Ki-tat Chung]

arn't you supposed to use your cd!?

[Crazy Photon]

Mmmm... the problem here is not the same as the original post, but it means that winXP has problems while setting the 640x480x16 colors video mode... I don't have XP so I really can't help you much, but I'd suggest you look in the FAQ section (thanks to Dragonhawk ) the part of multiboot

[DragonHawk]

Heh, the old FAQ section was destroyed... Fortunately CZ made his document, but so much was lost...

 

And which one of you gimps resurrected this? It was dead! Kitat, again! heheh, j/k.

[CreepyD]

im also on a SB Live! and having sound problems.

I could get sound even b4 loading this VDMSound thingy, but it was constantly stop start stop start about once each second.

After installing the VDMSound, its exactly the same.

Also I put that line in the .bat file, and all it says is theres no such command

 

at least the game runs, but having horrid choppy sound is not nice.

 

added: Ok, i found u have to put all the VDMsound files in your xcom apox directory. Now it works perfectly

although it just crashed after a couple of hours play, lost a couple of tactical missions i think.. dman must remember save it every time :dontgetit:

[kei]

the above fix only works if you upgraded to xp from 9x. anyone know how to get apoc working for an xp machine out of the box?

[Ki-tat Chung]

Heh, the old FAQ section was destroyed...  Fortunately CZ made his document, but so much was lost...   

 

And which one of you gimps resurrected this?  It was dead!  Kitat, again!    heheh, j/k. 

the reason why i "resurrected", so you say, this topic is because i can't post in FAQ and i need help running apoc in win9x. i use the patch but it freezes whenever i go into tac. oh, and btw, for the files/buffer thing, if you're too afraid of editing in sysedit, just run "msconfig" and click on the config.sys tab. add/edit from there and it might not be as scary.

[Alan]

the reason why i "resurrected", so you say, this topic is because i can't post in FAQ and i need help running apoc in win9x.

 

the reason you can't post in faq is because... *drum roll* your not supposed to. what you are supposed to do is post in the support forum. the faq is just for recording questions often asked in support so that people can check to see if their q is answered there first.

[Mouse Nightshirt]

I was lucky with my solution. I got hold of an old 166 Win 98 machine

[Ki-tat Chung]

hey, exactly the same as mine!

[Helox]

to fix the low mouse sens problem _without_ setting your windows mouse speed to "omg where is the cursor now I just moved it 1 millimeter"-speed:

 

goto this page:

https://www.minnemacs.com/sandbox/xp.html

 

download mousectl.exe and read the instructions and its fixed.

[The Veteran]

It works! But the mouse is still slow after trying both means of correction and the sound stil won't work...

I have both of the programs (VDMSound and mousectl.exe)

The sound is all sorted to the extent that I've put the line in the file, the game accepts the soundblaster ladida... But... When I run the game with the sound enabled it reverts straight to the end screen from the nocd crack... So I'm playing with no sound...

The manual mouse speed alteration doesn't help either. Plus I can't use the thing I downloaded for it as it loads and quits immediately... Any further suggestions?