«

[dosraider]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Guest @ Oct 17 2007, 09:37 PM) [snapback]316550[/snapback]</div>

As said, D is a hard drive and E is the disc. So assuming my D equals your C and my E equals your D, I think my legend is correct; look at it that way. I have been mounting them accordingly. The game doesn't run if I forget to mount both.

Which files should I check for the read-only status?
[/b]

All files/subdirs in D:\DGATE\ , that's where the game should save the game.

But .... maybe the game can only save/load when the data is stored in SAVEDATA=C:\DGATE\
Not sure about that, but ol'games can be tricky about the path.
Even if *I think my legend is correct* as you say, I know several games that will only find their files if they are running from a mounted C:/subdir and others that only will find their CD if mounted as D:

Also, neither restart.dat and dgate000.sav cannot be accessed even though they are NOT read-only.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dosraider @ Oct 17 2007, 10:09 PM) [snapback]316556[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Guest @ Oct 17 2007, 09:37 PM) [snapback]316550[/snapback]

As said, D is a hard drive and E is the disc. So assuming my D equals your C and my E equals your D, I think my legend is correct; look at it that way. I have been mounting them accordingly. The game doesn't run if I forget to mount both.

Which files should I check for the read-only status?
[/b]

All files/subdirs in D:\DGATE\ , that's where the game should save the game.

But .... maybe the game can only save/load when the data is stored in SAVEDATA=C:\DGATE\
Not sure about that, but ol'games can be tricky about the path.
Even if *I think my legend is correct* as you say, I know several games that will only find their files if they are running from a mounted C:/subdir and others that only will find their CD if mounted as D:
[/b][/quote]

Heh, nice timing. Right as I made my last post. I can put the game on C, I suppose, although I have another thing I want to try first.

[The Fifth Horseman]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Guest @ Oct 17 2007, 09:37 PM) [snapback]316550[/snapback]</div>

As said, D is a hard drive and E is the disc. So assuming my D equals your C and my E equals your D, I think my legend is correct; look at it that way. I have been mounting them accordingly. The game doesn't run if I forget to mount both.[/b]

That the game does run does not mean it will run entirely correct; just as Dosraider said, some games depend on absolute paths rather than relative ones.
Try the same with X-Com: Apocalypse. The game will run, but every now and then you'll find it freeze due to not being able to find a specific file.

What is your reason to use mount letters starting with D and not C, by the way?

Which files should I check for the read-only status?[/b]

All of them.

I'm using D because that is the hard drive the game is on. It's not as though I'm some nincompoop who is somehow not only stupid enough to mount the entire game incorrectly, but blessed by some Gumpish magic of the naive where the game works anyway despite my doing so. I use the C drive for programs reliant on Windows in some way or another and the D drive for emulated games and porn. My appetite for both demands a drive of its own.

I did try putting the game on C with the appropriate mounts but the problem persisted.

However, I have solved the problem but amazingly still failed to determine what the actual problem was. By copying the entire contents of the disc into my D:\DGATE directory, I got everything to work. I had a vague recollection late last night that I'd had the exact same problem back in 1995 or whenever it was I initially purchased the game so maybe it there is something wrong with my disc. But the storm has passed and I thank you all for the suggestions.

[The Fifth Horseman]

The mounts in DOSBox do not have to correspond to drive letters on your actual machine.
I mount F:\DOSGAMES as DOSBox' drive C, and as far as any program running within DOSBox is concerned it will act as drive C for all purposes.

[Sebatianos]

When you're mounting a CD Rom drive with DOSBox remember to add -t cdrom (example mount d f:\ -t cdrom). Without it you didn't really mount the CD drive.

[dosraider]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE("review on main page")</div>

Technical note:
This game must be run from the DGATE directory, so extract your archive to D:. There is no sound when running in Windows XP, so I recommend VDMSound or, of course, DOSBox.[/b]

I was intrigued by this "must be run from D:", so I've downed the game.
Extracted to E:\games\dgate,
mounted E:\games as C: in dosbox, (That's my usual C in dosbox).
cd dgate,ran install
Choices:
Don't add xmouse
Music: SB16
Digitized:SBPro (OPL3)
exit inst program.

And the game runs flawless, saving, restoring a game, whatever.
So: why the 'must be run from D:' ?

That's how the LEGEND.INI looks like now:

MOUSE=MOUSE
MUSIC=SBPRO2.MDI FM
SOUND=quiet
SPEED=1
GAMEDATA=C:\DGATE
PICDATA= C:\DGATE
VOCDATA= C:\DGATE
SAVEDATA=C:\DGATE

I guess the sound=quiet is because it's a no-talky version.
The ol'INI is stored by the install prog as LEGEND.IN1

It's immaterial now since my game is working, but I don't think you understand what I was saying. I never said it must be on D:. That was merely my choice of drives and, as I tested, had no bearing on whatever the problem was on way or another. I just put everything on D and the problem did not persist. I could do that on C as well if I so chose.

Secondly, the downloaded version here always worked for me. However, since I do actually own a copy of the game, I wanted the opportunity to play the full version with voices and whatnot, so my problem didn't involve the download here which works fine.

The only thing mentioned that I hadn't already tried might have caused a problem was the -t cdrom thing. I did not do that, however I cannot fathom how that would prevent saving and it was not as though I was having access problems with the disc itself, just files on the hard disk. Also, you can't exactly put that to the test unless you have the disc, so the intrigue will have to end there.

[dosraider]

Roy, I quoted the game review.
The game is made ready to run in dosbox with a mounted D:, and there is no reason for that.
That is what my question was about.

About your D.
There is no reason to mount a D: partition as D: in dosbox, dosbox doesn't care what you mount as C:
Mine is ALWAYS e:\games mounted as C:.
Whatever your real drive letter is doesn't matter.
It's simply a fact that some games will only run if the run from C: and in a specific subdir.
Evenas your CD Drive, it's easier to always mount it as D, same reason, some games (usually the early cd games) will only work with CD as D, what your real drive letter is in Win doesn't matter.

Conclusion:
To make your life with dosbox easy, and to avoid problems sooner or later:
Always mount a gamesfolder, whatever the real drive letter is as C:
Always mount your CD whatever the real drive letter is as D: