DOSBox Settings for Battlespire

[Deuce Traveler]

I'm trying to run Battlespire right now and the game is being difficult.

I have all the game files in my Dosbox directory and use the following commands at the prompt:

mount c e:\dosbox
mount d e:\dosbox\batspire\cd -t cdrom
memsize=64

The game doesn't recognize the memsize I gave it and says I still do not have enough memory (it requires 40MB I think). I choose to continue anyway, and get through character creation and onto the map, but I can only take a few steps towards some small humanoids before I see something that reads like 'Code 0 error' or some such before dropping back to the prompt in DOSBox. Not sure what settings other folks are using, but I've been tweaking memsize in a number of ways and still can't get any further.

 

[Excidium II]

Have you tried messing with the cpu options?

 

[mindx2]

I'm trying to run Battlespire right now and the game is being difficult.

I have all the game files in my Dosbox directory and use the following commands at the prompt:

mount c e:\dosbox
mount d e:\dosbox\batspire\cd -t cdrom
memsize=64

The game doesn't recognize the memsize I gave it and says I still do not have enough memory (it requires 40MB I think). I choose to continue anyway, and get through character creation and onto the map, but I can only take a few steps towards some small humanoids before I see something that reads like 'Code 0 error' or some such before dropping back to the prompt in DOSBox. Not sure what settings other folks are using, but I've been tweaking memsize in a number of ways and still can't get any further.

I'm hopeful someone smarter than I am can answer this as I've been having the exact same issues lately trying to get this game to run...

 

[Excidium II]

How come you old cunts don't have a proper computer to play old games anyway? Emulation is for children.

 

[abnaxus]

Never could get more than 10 fps.

 

[mindx2]

How come you old cunts don't have a proper computer to play old games anyway? Emulation is for children.

I've actually been thinking about doing just that (build an old DOS rig) as sometimes I think I might actually miss messing around with the Config.sys and expanded memory settings... ahhhh, to live in the 80s again...

 

[Monstrous Bat]

Never played the game myself, but you may find this guide useful: http://www.dosbox.com/wiki/GAMES:The_Elder_Scrolls_Legend:_Battlespire

(Also, I think we should have a dedicated DOSBox technical help thread)

 

[Gregz]

vogons.org is the best dosbox settings support site, try posting your specific issues there:

http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=42151

http://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=40268

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Here is my dosbox.conf for Battlespire

Spoiler

[sdl]
fullscreen=true
fulldouble=false
fullresolution=desktop
windowresolution=0
output=ddraw
autolock=true
sensitivity=100
waitonerror=true
priority=higher,normal
mapperfile=mapper.txt
pixelshader=none
usescancodes=false

[dosbox]
language=
machine=svga_s3
captures=capture
memsize=63

[render]
frameskip=0
aspect=false
scaler=none

[cpu]
core=auto
cputype=auto
cycles=auto
cycleup=500
cycledown=20

[mixer]
nosound=false
rate=44100
blocksize=2048
prebuffer=10

[midi]
mpu401=uart
device=default
config=

[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=7
dma=1
hdma=5
mixer=true
oplmode=auto
oplrate=44100
hardwarebase=220

[gus]
gus=false
gusrate=44100
gusbase=240
irq1=5
irq2=5
dma1=3
dma2=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND

[speaker]
pcspeaker=true
pcrate=44100
tandy=auto
tandyrate=44100
disney=false

[joystick]
joysticktype=none
timed=true
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=true

[serial]
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled

[printer]
printer=true
dpi=360
width=85
height=110
printoutput=png
multipage=false
docpath=.
timeout=0

[parallel]
parallel1=disabled
parallel2=disabled
parallel3=disabled

[glide]
glide=true
grport=600
lfb=full

[dos]
xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=none

[ipx]
ipx=true

[ne2000]
ne2000=false
nicbase=300
nicirq=3
macaddr=AC:DE:48:88:99:AA
realnic=list

[autoexec]
@ Echo off
MOUNT C HD -freesize 300
IMGMOUNT D HD\Battlespire.cue -t iso
C:
CD BATSPIRE
SPIRE

It works perfectly.

Here is also spire.cfg file.

Spoiler

path C:\BATSPIRE\
pathcd D:\
bypass 1
captions 1
OBJMEMSIZE 4000
gamma 1.5
video S3 Incorporated. Trio64

P.S. Battlespire is truly great. TBH I like it even more than Ultima Underworld.

 

[Sceptic]

First: make ABSOLUTELY sure you installed the official patch. The game will never, ever run without it (even without DOSBox, it didn't run on most hardware)
Second: memsize should be 63, not 64. I don't know why, but there's something funky in the way the variable works in DOSBox

Let me know if adjusting these 2 things improve. If not I'll start messing around with settings myself.

Unless you have a monstrous PC the game won't run very smooth, but we'll get to that later.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

Shit. Some 'helpful' moderator just buried this thread in the Bethesda subforum. Glad there are some folks that know what they are talking about still watching this thread, though its current placement narrows the number of people who might find it.

I'll give the suggested changes a go later tonight and report how it goes.

 

[mindx2]

First: make ABSOLUTELY sure you installed the official patch. The game will never, ever run without it (even without DOSBox, it didn't run on most hardware)
Second: memsize should be 63, not 64. I don't know why, but there's something funky in the way the variable works in DOSBox

Let me know if adjusting these 2 things improve. If not I'll start messing around with settings myself.

Unless you have a monstrous PC the game won't run very smooth, but we'll get to that later.

How do I use the patch on a x64 system?

 

[Crooked Bee]

How do I use the patch on a x64 system?

Under DOSBox?

 

[mindx2]

How do I use the patch on a x64 system?

Under DOSBox?

I tried but it said it was a Windows exe...?

 

[Crooked Bee]

I tried but it said it was a Windows exe...?

Weird. I'm pretty sure I installed patch 1.5 under dosbox.

 

[mindx2]

I ended up unzipping it from Windows and overwriting all the files from the patch folder.

Edit: Well it patched correctly (it shows as v1.5) but I'm still crashing every time the scamp starts to talk to me. I get the error "code: 0 not found in c:\batspire>"

 

[Deuce Traveler]

I ended up unzipping it from Windows and overwriting all the files from the patch folder.

Edit: Well it patched correctly (it shows as v1.5) but I'm still crashing every time the scamp starts to talk to me. I get the error "code: 0 not found in c:\batspire>"

I had the same error, until I used Sordid MCA's configurations. I went to the Windows Start -> Programs -> DOSBox -> Options -> DOSBox Options and it opened up the Dosbox cfg file in Notepad. From there, I copied and pasted SMCA's suggested config and changed the last two mount lines for the C drive and D drive to reflect where I stored my own files.

Where he had this:

MOUNT C HD -freesize 300
IMGMOUNT D HD\Battlespire.cue -t iso

I had this:

MOUNT C e:\dosbox -freesize 300
IMGMOUNT D e:\dosbox\batspire\cd\Battlespire.mdf -t iso

Also note that my battlespire iso file is a .mdf file and not a .cue file.

I also changed the spire.cfg file to his settings. I kept the spire.cfg file in the battlespire subfolder. Everything seems to run fine, but after my conversation with the scamps, they attacked me, and I foolishly started the game with a primary fighting skill in long blades, but with no weapon in my inventory, so I'll have to start over in character creation as I was handily killed. So far no performance issues, but I have an 8GB ram rig with a TB drive and a 3.3 GHz processor.

Update: Still working fine, and now getting the intro video, where I didn't before. Most likely because I never setup the CD-Rom drive correctly, or at least not the imaged file. Still being told I don't have enough memory for some reason.

 

[mindx2]

I ended up unzipping it from Windows and overwriting all the files from the patch folder.

Edit: Well it patched correctly (it shows as v1.5) but I'm still crashing every time the scamp starts to talk to me. I get the error "code: 0 not found in c:\batspire>"

I had the same error, until I used Sordid MCA's configurations. I went to the Windows Start -> Programs -> DOSBox -> Options -> DOSBox Options and it opened up the Dosbox cfg file in Notepad. From there, I copied and pasted SMCA's suggested config and changed the last two mount lines for the C drive and D drive to reflect where I stored my own files.

Where he had this:

MOUNT C HD -freesize 300
IMGMOUNT D HD\Battlespire.cue -t iso

I had this:

MOUNT C e:\dosbox -freesize 300
IMGMOUNT D e:\dosbox\batspire\cd\Battlespire.mdf -t iso

Also note that my battlespire iso file is a .mdf file and not a .cue file.

I also changed the spire.cfg file to his settings. I kept the spire.cfg file in the battlespire subfolder. Everything seems to run fine, but after my conversation with the scamps, they attacked me, and I foolishly started the game with a primary fighting skill in long blades, but with no weapon in my inventory, so I'll have to start over in character creation as I was handily killed. So far no performance issues, but I have an 8GB ram rig with a TB drive and a 3.3 GHz processor.

Update: Still working fine, and now getting the intro video, where I didn't before. Most likely because I never setup the CD-Rom drive correctly, or at least not the imaged file. Still being told I don't have enough memory for some reason.

Did all of that with the exception that I have the actual disk not an iso burned one. It still gives me the error and I don't get the intro video... . Several years ago (maybe more than several!) I had this running flawlessly but just can't get it going this time. I'll fool around with it later this week as I'm still playing AntharioN anyway.

 

[Deuce Traveler]

If you have the real disk, you'll likely want to drop the IMGMOUNT for a normal drive MOUNT. Perhaps something like

MOUNT D D:\ -t cdrom

but now I'm just guessing.

 

[mindx2]

If you have the real disk, you'll likely want to drop the IMGMOUNT for a normal drive MOUNT. Perhaps something like

MOUNT D D:\ -t cdrom

but now I'm just guessing.

Yeah, that's what I have for my D: mounted drive.

 

[Great Deceiver]

I can't get any music in Battlespire for some reason. The intro video plays just fine.

 

[Sordid MCA/Prosper Hybryd]

Some hints on getting it run from UESP

I can't get any music in Battlespire for some reason. The intro video plays just fine.

Battlespire has Red Book audio (CDDA), that's why I use image with Cue sheet.

 

[Great Deceiver]

Did you rip your own .bin/cue from your original CD?

 

[btbgfel]

UESP says battlespire has a savegame bloat bug offical patch didn't fix（http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Battlespire:Bugs）, is there any patch for it?

 

[DramaticPopcorn]

Some hints on getting it run from UESP

I can't get any music in Battlespire for some reason. The intro video plays just fine.

Battlespire has Red Book audio (CDDA), that's why I use image with Cue sheet.

Can you go into more detail about how to do that?

I've never managed to run Battlespire with music myself