Re: Axe and Fang?
By: Martin Kazmaier to All on Sun Nov 05 2023 06:24 pm

Is it possible to run this door stably?

It runs without locking up on actual 486 hardware under DOS 5.0 as long as SHARE.EXE is not loaded, no expanded memory manager is installed, and no multi-tasker or task switcher is involved. Any later version of DOS (at least the 6.22 I tested with) or anything that causes the CPU to be in enhanced mode or virtual 8086 mode crashes the game or locks up the system eventually. So... maybe?

I'm wondering how well it would
run under DOSBox. Has anyone tried it?

I was able to get it running under DOSBox SVN as long as the CPU was forced into real mode. You can do that with these settings under the [cpu] section in a DOSBox.conf file:

core=normal
cputype=386_prefetch
cycles=3000

Set cycles to whatever value you would like but don't leave it in auto mode. I was unable to get a FOSSIL driver to work properly with the game and needed to let the game use its own I/O routines. With a locked rate at over 38400 the game tends to 'forget' to send data after a while, so leave it at that value maximum. Using DOSBox means it's going to need to be a single-node only game and you'll need to take measures to prevent two users from entering at the same time.

I also couldn't get DOSBox-X to run this reliably even with the above settings. That may be a DOSBox-X problem as I've had some other stability issues with the last two releases.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Fool's Quarter, fqbbs.synchro.net (1:105/500)

. Using DOSBox means it's going to need to be a single-node only game and you
l need to take measures to prevent two users from entering at the same time.

--- SBBSecho 3.14-Win32
* Origin: The Fool's Quarter, fqbbs.synchro.net (1:105/500)

How did you get Synchronet to call DOSBOX instead of dosemu when launching
this game?


* SLMR 2.1a * I used to have a handle on life, then it broke.
--- SBBSecho 3.14-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

Re: Axe and Fang?
By: Martin Kazmaier to All on Sun Nov 05 2023 06:24 pm

Is it possible to run this door stably?

It runs without locking up on actual 486 hardware under DOS 5.0 as long as SHARE.EXE is not loaded, no expanded memory manager is installed, and no multi-tasker or task switcher is involved. Any later version of DOS (at least the 6.22 I tested with) or anything that causes the CPU to be in enhanced mode or virtual 8086 mode crashes the game or locks up the system eventually. So... maybe?

I'm wondering how well it would run under DOSBox. Has anyone tried
it?

I was able to get it running under DOSBox SVN as long as the CPU was forced into real mode. You can do that with these settings under the [cpu] section in a DOSBox.conf file:

core=normal cputype=386_prefetch cycles=3000

Set cycles to whatever value you would like but don't leave it in auto mode. I was unable to get a FOSSIL driver to work properly with the game and needed to let the game use its own I/O routines. With a locked rate at over 38400 the game tends to 'forget' to send data after a while, so leave it at that value maximum. Using DOSBox means it's going to need to be a single-node only game and you'll need to take measures to prevent two users from entering at the same time.

I also couldn't get DOSBox-X to run this reliably even with the above settings. That may be a DOSBox-X problem as I've had some other stability issues with the last two releases.

Thanks for the extensive trouble-shooting. I'm not going to run it. It's a MUD, so definitely single-user only isn't going to be acceptable. Thanks!

---
Shurato, Sysop Shurato's Heavenly Sphere (ssh, telnet, pop3, ftp,nntp)
(ports 22, 23, 110, 21, 119) (ssh: login bbs password shsbbs)


*** THE READER V4.50 [freeware]
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