WarWizard

[Fowyr]

Do you remember this eye-gouging game?

I recently tried to run it on WinXP machine and got problems with sound. OK, said I, and run DOSBox only to find that WarWizard crashes to DOS after starting game. WTF, thought I, game worked as charm in Win95/98.

Reason for it:
It uses xcopy. Fucking xcopy! Of course xcopy is not present in DOSBox, or, in case of version downloaded from Abandonia, it checks "DOS" version, finds it incorrect and exits without doing anything, so anyway map files are not copied to save slot.

So:

1)If you downloaded version from Abandonia, delete xcopy.exe, xcopy32.exe and xcopy.mod from game directory. They are from some German Windows.

EDIT: type in the dosbox VER SET 7 10 and stop reading /EDIT

2)Download DOS 6.22 distributive and put xcopy.exe from it to game's directory.

3)Run DOSbox, mount directory and write
ver set 6 20
It will make DOSBox pretend to be DOS 6.20

4)Run game

If you want to disable DOS version check in xcopy, there are offsets:
66D: replace 75 with 90
66E: replace 03 with 90

I found that I STILL remember some assembler. Feels good, man.

 

[octavius]

That's an obscure one. It's not even on Mobygames, and passed under my radar when assembling my 1993 play list.
Will have to check it out more.

 

[V_K]

Oh yes, I remember that one. Had a huge ass world and no map, very confusing.

 

[vonAchdorf]

I think I only heard about it when reading up on Brad McQuaid / EQ history.

However in August 2009, a member of RPGWatch Forums indicated to actually possess a registered version of WarWizard. After Brad Mcquaid gave his approval to release the full Ms-Dos/PC Version of WarWizard to the public, the link for the game has been put up on the forums.

At the present moment the full game has also been reviewed and made available for everyone on an Abandonware (classic Ms-Dos and Windows games) site named Abandonia.

 

[Filthy Sauce]

Never heard of this game- had to look it up... Looks interesting, but combat looks a bit dull.

 

[octavius]

That's an obscure one. It's not even on Mobygames, and passed under my radar when assembling my 1993 play list.
Will have to check it out more.

I see it has recently been added to MobyGames. Outdoors graphics looks nice and crisp, but otherwise it's evident that the DOS version was ported from the Amiga version.

Fowyr, is it worth all the hassle you described to play it?

 

[Fowyr]

is it worth all the hassle you described to play it?

Dunno, game looks somewhat interesting and has giant, really giant otherworld. Think Magic Candle.
You can recruit other party members, I think.
I played it only an hour or two.

Also it's not really hassle, it was hassle to me, all this experimenting and disassembling, but you should make it work really fast.

 

[V_K]

or, in case of version downloaded from Abandonia, it checks "DOS" version, finds it incorrect and exits without doing anything, so anyway map files are not copied to save slot.

Abandonia has these instructions for running the game:

Before typing any commands in DOSBox, type "VER SET 7 10". Otherwise you won't be able to save your progress or start a new game. After that run the game using WW1.BAT.

Seems simpler than what you're describing above. Don't they work?

 

[Fowyr]

Seems simpler than what you're describing above. Don't they work?

Damn, they work! Fuck, indeed Wiin95/98 said that it's 7.10 to the ver command. I found my old archives first and that version don't had any xcopy.exe inside. So I tried another version, from Abandonia, but do not checked description.
I feel myself
At least I now know that WarWizard needs to run.

 

[anvi]

Gimme Pantheon.

 

[octavius]

Got the game to run using the file from Abandonia with D-Fend Reloaded.
But it crashes when trying to save or load. Coupled with what sounds like it's the size of Fate: Gates of Dawn, and it being difficult to map properly (and no auto-map either) I think I'll give this one a miss.
It will be interesting to read The CRPG Addict's further coverage of it.

 

[Crossman]

That's an obscure one. It's not even on Mobygames, and passed under my radar when assembling my 1993 play list.
Will have to check it out more.

It IS on Mobygames, and CRPG Addict

 

[Crossman]

Also, hasn't anybody that got it to work thought about uploading a copy of it with a saved game included? That might get over the hump of not being able to play because there's no saved game to load

 

[Cryomancer]

S hard to run it in linux?