Hi everyone, and congrats on keeping this forum alive. I would like to report success on running Longbow 2 on my stock Win XP Pro SP2 box. Here are my specs:

P4 2.4GHz
i865 chipset
GeForce 6800GT
1GB Ram
Thrustmaster Cougar USB

I didn't have to limit the memory, I don't run the game in compatibility mode, hell, I didn't edit a single configuration file.

My only two annoyances are these:

1) The keyboard doesn't respond properly. This turns out to be due to the fast CPU. Running turbo.exe at 31% partially fixes the problem. [1]

2) At the installation stage, after copying all game files and then decompressing the maps, the setup crashes ("We are sorry for the inconvinience..."). [2]

Otherwise, it works fine. 1280x1024 resolution with full antialiasing and mipmapping, using the vgVoodoo wrapper.

Thanks again guys!

Jim

[1] The keyboard does behave well when running at 31%, but when also running under Glide emulation (ie not the cpu-intensive software renderer), it acts up again. As I don't have a set of rudder pedals, I am forced to use the IFF IN / IFF OUT buttons on the Cougar as rudder left/right. Since these are mapped as keyboard keypresses, the aircraft doesn't turn about it's yaw axis very fast, which in all helicopters is a major problem.

[2] This might be why when pressing Alt-N in the game, it crashes.

You call that success? I thought I had a semblance of success, too. Then the more I played the more problems I had.

I had problems getting these CPU slowdown programs to turn off. After using them, my system can't tell me how much ram I have. And with them on, the framerate suffered a lot. Any reduction in fps will affect the realism of the helo controls. It should be totally fluid and lite on its feet.

Someone really just needs to get the source code and attempt to fix these problems. The repetive keypress issue is a killer, and then the controls will suddenly blink out. The map worked for a short time, then that stopped. Now with any wrapper it CTD's when I try to restart a mission after dying. There's just no point in bothering with it anymore. Plenty of other sims work fine.

Here's the deal:

I switched to 25% CPU throttling (down from 31%) and the controls are just fine now. I didn't notice a FPS drop, even when launcing multiple Hellfires or Hydras. This is mostly because a 600MHz CPU can cope with everything as all the graphics are GPU-accelerated now, and the CPU only has to deal with the aviation physics etc.

So, the only issue that remains right now, is the map issue (Alt-N).

Jim

Like you say, it could be related to the same error you get during installation/decompression.
Have you tried a quick-mission on a different terrain than NTC? Does the game decompress the new map without problems?
Could be a read-error from your cd/dvd drive during installation. Scratchy disc?

I run the game under XP SP2 on a P4 2.4gig computer with 768mb memory and a GF 5900XT with no problems at all in single player at 1024x768. Other than the 'cracks' in the cockpit.

Mind you, I had to use one or two tweaks posted in various threads here. And fiddle with the settings in DGVoodoo a little bit. (The black cockpit issue - resolved by fiddling with the shaders stuff.)

MP is another issue: there our 'fast' home computer (as above) runs ahead of the old AMD K6-2 with 256mb RAM and the game usually freezes at some point. Probably turbo.exe would fix that, but I'm reluctant, for no doubt superstitious reasons...

So it can be done.

I just tried maps AZR(0,0) as well as AZR(0,3), both of which turned out to work just fine. My CD #1 is indeed quite scratched, as opposed to CD #2, maybe I will have a look and see if I can make a copy of my scratched CD and install from that one. I'm not too optimistic about it though.

Jim

Yes, try to make a ISO image of CD1.

You could always get the surface refinished.

I am not able to get LB2 working on my computer. I have tried many times in the past, but figured I would try again to see if I might have better luck this time. I have installed LBA and the dgVoodoo wrapper. When I launch the program it crashes before it actually loads. I get a black screen and the Windows error reporting window.

I got the impression people have lately been getting things running with just the install and the wrapper. Apparently that doesn't work for me; what is the logical next step?

Thanks!


WinXP Home SP2
Asus A7N8X-E Deluxe
Athlon XP 3200+
1 Gig Corsair XMS PC3200LL (matched 2x512)
Asus Radeon 9800XT
SB Audigy2 ZS Platinum Pro

Hang on...I found that site with the instructions. Sorry for the false alarm...looking good now but haven't gotten far enough to say for sure.

Having flown a bit now, here are some questions if anyone can answer:

1. How do I know I'm getting the best graphics out of the game? I seem to recall the 3D update being a significant improvement, but I'm pretty sure what I'm seeing is the basic look.

2. Is it safe to use that CPU speed adjustment software? I've read some stories suggesting otherwise.

3. If I do use that to adjust my CPU clock, how do I know I've got the right speed? I notice that when I fly around now, the ship doesn't move like the heavy metal it is. I can tell there is something wrong in that regard.

4. My rockets always fall short of target. They do seem to track the target vertically, but they always track low. So the FCR is feeding the data from the target, but the rockets are aiming just slightly below it vertically.

Thanks!

Hi and welcome to the Longbow forums

Thanks, Shadow. I think mine looks like your jpg's do, so that must be right. I just thought there had been some graphic update that looked better than that which I had seen once but couldn't get to work (maybe that was D3D?). Actually maybe your screens do look better than what I'm seeing. I will try to find some time later today and confirm.

I run my screen at 1600x1200 at 100Hz. Should I therefore put the brakes on my CPU? And how do you know if you've got the right speed? Just feels right?

Also, I have the graphics config set to 3Dfx, but there is no voodoo specification. I assume that's still correct how I have it, right?

Thanks again!

The only graphical mod I know of is the winter-mod (modified palettes).
3DFX is the voodoo-setting you're looking for. There are no additional settings except in the dgvoodoo-wrapper.
When you run the game at 100hz you might want to slow down the cpu. 100fps is very fast in this game. Just slow the cpu down untill you think its right. You can use FRAPS to meassure your fps.
60fps is the desired value.

One more quick question...

Do the settings for my video card matter when the glide wrapper is active? Or does that override anything I tell my card to do through its own drivers?

It's funny, I can play Gunship 2000 but I can't play LB2...

Forget my last posting. It turned out one of the old DOS games I was playing caused my PC to crash (the boot partition was damaged) and I had to reinstall WinXP and now LB2 is working. The only special setting was Windows 98 Compatibility Mode.....

I still have a few minor anoyances:
1. like the Joystick Throttle not going all the way up, therefore I can not take off. But I always can disable the stick Throttle and use the keyboard for Take Off/Landing....

2. Sometimes I see the SysTray blinking on the lower Right corner but switching to another view and changing back solves the problem...

After more than a year of frustations, I'm so happy I feel like the first time I played it....

Do you have another joystick or wheel plugged into your PC?

Hi PositiveG!

I have a Force Feedback (USB) and I'm using a Sidewinder 3D thru the Soundcard game port for LB2.....

Any suggestions are welcome and appreciated....

Great Punisher.

Another happy customer