Like a number of the other folks on this thread I collect classic flight sims. I've been unable to get the windows or 3dfx versions of Apache and Hind to run on my Vista 64 bit system (I get a direct draw error as soon as the introductory videos end), so I finally gave up and installed the DOS versions of both games under DOSbox. I have to turn the detail level down about half way to get acceptable frame rates, and of course there is no 3d acceleration, but aside from that, both programs work ok. They will never take the place of Black Shark, of course, but a quick run through a mission or two is lots of fun--nostalgia at its best, really, sort of like when I fire up Gunship 2000. So if nostalgia is your thing, it might be worth giving the DOSbox approach to Apache and Hind a go.

I'm surprised you have to turn the detail level down. For Apache in DOSBOX 0.74 everything works fine with all the detail maxed out.

I evidently need to move up to .74. I've been using .72 because D-Fend doesn't work with .74 (or at least doesn't work very well) and D-Fend Reload tends to lock up when I try it. I could of course quit using a frontend, but they are really convenient, and I've never been able to figure out how to set up batch files which load the necessary parameters for individual games. Evidently .74 is quite a bit faster than .72, though, so I need to make the switch, especially for programs like Apache and Hind and Longbow gold (also Wing Commander III). Do you know any decent frontends for .74? That would certainly simplify life.

DOSBOX 0.74 is a quantum leap over previous versions. Things that never worked well now work amazingly well. There were a few things (I think Gunship2000 was one such) that worked BETTER in 0.72 because they ran WAY too fast in 0.74 even when trying to modify the cycles used. Even in 0.72 I have some difficulties getting it to run slow enough to be playable.

Things like Janes Apache Longbow (1) were problematic if not impossible in 0.72 and work like a charm in 0.74.

I think I had WingCommander III running ok in 0.72, but I don't recall.

I never use front ends, sorry. I generally mount my drives on the fly, but I need to get busy and write separate DOSBOX.conf files (which can be called from the command line) to save me some time.

There are a bunch of frontends listed here along with DOSBOX 0.74, so I assume they have been tested to work with that version:

http://www.dosbox.com/download.php?main=1

Thanks for the link, Recluse.

As it turns out, I finally figured out a way to run the windows versions of Apache, Hind, and i-16, so I no longer need to run them through DOSbox (the problem had to do with the animations files, so I deselected animations in the preference screens and was good to go). Longbow Gold, on the other hand, is greatly improved running under .74.

Good!! I have the Win95 version of HIND running well, but for some reason, the Win95 version of Apache REFUSES to recognize my throttle. The little arrow shows up in the Controller screen when I select throttle but it doesn't sense the movement. The DOS version works FINE in DOSBOX.

I suppose I could program my throttle to send digital signals rather than using it as an Analog controller, but DOSBOX is just as easy and I can control the speed at which things run better than I can in the Win95 version.

APACHE95 - dosbox 0.73 with frontend - dfend reloaded 0.9.3



ufo :-)

Reckless! Love it

I no longer bother with front-ends and just use simple custom batch files to run any games through DOSBox.

Hi there - first i want to introduce myself bcause i am new in this forum and want to say: Great forum!
I joined this forum because i have a lot of PC/Dos/WinXX Games exspecialy sims exspecially subsims and Flight, landcombat :-)
hmm..and i love the manuals from all these games ;-)
oh.. i come from germany and my favourite Fighter is the A-10 :-D
the problem all we have in these days ist to play the good old games on Win XP etc. for DOS, the dosbox is really good -hail to Dosbox it helps me to play my lovely F15 III and Harrier-Jumpjet and so on but i am really sad that can not play Longbow2 with XP, so i thought as a substitute to play DI's apache and HIND in Dosbox - the software graphics is ok and all games (iF16) work with DB 073+074 BUT i have joystickproblems and the mainproblem is i cant fire the turretgun! when i select M230 on a target, put space/fire nothing the ammo counter remains on 1200 - okay sometimes it works but wvery bad and it comes with sound and framesproblems.. afterwile the games crashes - i tried a lot of solutions i.e. sound on/off no sound changing soundcards etc..
Can anybody help me?
It is very frustrating :-(
i read somehing about working Hind,apache and F16 with XP?
Thanks for your help and sorry for my excessive writting..