###################################################################### ### ### ### Xiaopang's Quality Releases ### ### ### ### presents ### ### ### ### Prisoner of Ice (DOS) ### ### ### ###################################################################### 1. About this release 2. Features 3. Starting the game 4. Troubleshooting ###################################################################### ### 1. About this release ### ###################################################################### This edition is a prototype release, a proof of concept if you so will. My goal was to make the game compatible with every major operating system of the last 20 years from DOS to Windows 7, from 16 to 64 bit. There is already an official Windows version of this game, which is superior to the DOS version in every way. Still, it doesn't run in DOS, so I didn't want to get rid of the DOS-version. To enable support for operating systems newer than Windows ME, this edition makes use of DOSBox. Although DOSBox has been used in several commercial re-releases of vintage software already, I believe that my approach is a first. The game runs directly off CD, just as the original DOS-version. I also designed this edition in a way that allows you to run the game either through DOSBox or by using a real DOS. This means that you can run the game on old DOS-based computers as well as newer ones. I found it important to ensure that the game is not always forced through DOSBox, because it requires a rather powerful computer. It is an emulator after all. This way it wouldn't have been possible to run the game on much older computers, which would have been quite a disadvantage compared to the original version. ###################################################################### ### 2. Features ### ###################################################################### - Compatible with all Microsoft operating systems starting from MS-DOS 5.0 to Windows 7 x64 - Choose between running the game on original DOS or through emulation by DOSBox - Behaves just like the original and therefore also runs directly off CD - DOSBox and Game are preconfigured. No need to go through the battle of setting up the sound or CD-ROM drivers. Just start the game and play. - No knowledge about DOSBox, DOS or Windows necessary. A simple click starts the game and that's all there is to it. - English and German manuals included - Walkthrough included ###################################################################### ### 3. Starting the game ### ###################################################################### The game doesn't require an installation. You have to start it through the autorun menu. If Windows doesn't start it automatically then open the CD and doublick on autorun.exe manually. The autorun menu offers you several options: Play Prisoner of Ice -------------------- This starts the game with the settings you can see below 320 --- This sets the game to MCGA resolution (320x240). Meant for weaker computers, this setting is basically useless on all computers of the last 15 years. It is supported for the sake of completeness though. 640 --- This sets the game to VGA-resolution (640x480). This is also the default setting. DOSBox ------ This enables DOS-emulation through DOSBox. Deselecting this option will start the game in original DOS-mode. This requires an operating system that supports 16bit DOS-applications such as Windows 95/98. Using DOSBox is the default setting. Fullscreen ---------- This option allows you to start the game in fullscreen mode when using DOSBox. It is greyed out when DOSBox is not selected as DOS-games always run fullscreen natively. Despite the emulation, the game behaves just as it would without it. That's why most of the game's original documentation still applies. Make sure to read it, too. Naturally, the game will create an "Infogram"-folder on your c-drive and store saves and configuration data in an "ice"-subfolder. Should make screen captures with DOSBox' then those will also be stored there. After you finish the game, you will have to delete the folder manually. It doesn't get any more oldschool than this ;) ###################################################################### ### 4. Troubleshooting ### ###################################################################### Speed issues when using DOSBox ------------------------------ The game is old, but it depends on emulation which is still a strain on modern computers. Even though DOSBox was optimized for this game, Weaker systems might run into some issues. Especially when running the game fullscreen in 320x240 seems to take a lot more processing power than using VGA-mode. Should you experience lag, then you can use DOSBox' keyboard shortcuts to improve the emulation speed: CTRL-F7 Decrease frameskip. CTRL-F8 Increase frameskip. CTRL-F11 Slow down emulation (Decrease DOSBox Cycles). CTRL-F12 Speed up emulation (Increase DOSBox Cycles). ALT-F12 Unlock speed (turbo button). Of course all other shortcuts that DOSBox supports work too. Please refer to the included DOSBox documentation for further information. If you still encounter performance issues, then you still have a few options left: - If you run the game from CD, then bus access might have an impact on your system performance. Copy the content of the CD to a folder on your hard drive and run autorun.exe from there. You can also adjust the DOSBox settings to your liking then. - Run the game in windowed mode - Run the game in MCGA-resolution (320x240) - Run the DOS-Version on XP with a sound emulator such as VDMSound (Freeware) or SoundFX 2000 - Run the DOS-version on a 16bit-compatible operating system such as Windows 3.1 or Windows 9x - Run the DOS-version in a different virtual DOS-environment like VirtualPC or VMWare. - Get the Windows version... Mouse issues - DOSBox --------------------- When run in windows mode, DOSBox usually locks the mouse to the window as soon as you click on it. However, you wouldn't play a game in windowed mode unless you also had other stuff to do, so locking was deactivated. This enables you to move the cursor away from the game as if it was just an ordinary window. In VGA-mode this may cause problems in the main menu of the game. If you enter the window from the right side, then the mouse cursor might jump into the middle of the window. This only happens when the game starts. Usually DOSBox recalibrates the mouse cursor as soon as you gain control over your character. You can also prevent the problem by entering the window from the left side first. Afterwards it doesn't matter from which side you access it. Running the game in VGA-resolution through DOSBox in fullscreen mode might also create some problems with the mouse. If you can move the cursor, but get no reaction from clicks then click left and right several times. As soon as DOSBox catches on this problem won't occur any more until you end the game. However, this problem is very rare. Mouse issues - DOS ------------------ You will need to have a mouse driver installed, or else your mouse won't work. Refer to your mouse driver manual for installation advice. Sound issues - DOSBox --------------------- If you only hear choppy sound then this means that your computer is not powerful enough to run the game fluently. Check the above section about speed issues for a solution. Sound issues - DOSBox --------------------- If you don't have sound or midi music in DOS then make sure that you set up your sound blaster correctly. If you have installed all necessary drivers, then check if the sound card's settings match with those of the game. It is preconfigured to use: SB Pro, Port 220, IRQ7, DMA1. If you want to reconfigure the game then delete the ICE.CFG-file in C:\INFOGRAM\ICE and run either ICE320.exe or ICE640.exe manually. Then the game will allow you to configure the sound settings again. Afterwards make sure to write-protect the ICE.cfg file, because it will be overwritten with the pre-configured one if you start the game through the autorun menu. CD-ROM issues - DOS ------------------- To run the game in pure DOS you need CD-ROM drivers such as MSCDEX.EXE. If you aren't able to install them, or have too little memory left to run the game then copy the CD to your hard drive in Windows and run the game from there. Xiaopang, 22.09.2009