So, how do I get these games to stop moving at 900 MPH?
 

I know I have to "reduce the cycles" (or is it increase them)?

but I have no idea how to do this, and i'm using a frontend called "DosShell" for DosBox.

Anyone know? I can't even play Tyrian because it runs at a million miles an hour.

Small hint: there is a readme shipped with dosbox.

In short:
CTRL+F11 = lower cycles = decrease speed
CTRL+F12 = raise cycles = increase speed

There are also a whole bunch of other keycombs, you'll find them in the readme or simply input intro @ the prompt.

Does that work before, within or after the game? remember, i'm using a front-end (DosShell).

well, anytime when dosbox is running. but we don't know how does your front-end behaves. so if it doesn't work for you, use pure real dosbox or go bug the front-end makers=P

1. Yes, if you're in DOSBox' command line.
2. No.
3. Yes, if you're in DOSBox' command line.

Read the tutorial in the sticky at top of this forum and start learning how to use DOSBox properly.
With a bit of knowledge you can create customized shortcuts and configs that run any game just by clicking a shortcut on your desktop, with no frontends required.

Why not go to the DOSBox site and download D.O.G. - it's a much better front end for DOSBox than DOSShell and with it, all you would need to do (after telling D.O.G where you installed the game!) is click on the menu tag for CPU then on the page that appears either set cycles to 'auto' which works very well, (even though I have no idea how the programmer coded it!) or enter a number yourself in the box provided. It also allows for allowing D.O.G to set cycles a certain amount above and below what you choose to allow smooth changes!

I am currently playing the 3 mission Terra Nova: Task Force Centauri demo and using the 'auto cycle' option and it has worked perfectly from the get-go, without me having to touch any of the cycle numbers! I also get the same result using 'auto' with Darklands and Task Force 1942 as well.

So maybe you need to download D.O.g. and forget about DOSShell?

As for reading the readme, I usually don't end up doing that out of habit due to the nature of most of the other programs I work with, so that was my fault; thanks for the help, i'll go get D.O.G.

I also got the cycles to be lowered within DosShell also, so thanks for that too :)

BTW, all you need to slow down Tyrian is first increase detail level to Pentium and then modify game speed - both in options menu.