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[The Fifth Horseman]

Yeah, well... if you want to explain to him how he can avoid having to type in the commands to move in the directory structure, list directory structure and so on all the time, be my guest.

[_r.u.s.s.]

but he knows how to dir and cd

[The Fifth Horseman]

*points out that's not the problem*
After a while, having to repeat them over and over tends to get on one's nerves (proportionally faster the more prone one is to making typos).
Using the [autoexec] and a rudimentary GUI helps get around it without having to resort to a frontend.

Hi,

I played Betrayal at Krondor a bit during the weekend. It was a lot of fun even though all I've managed to do is walk around bashing peeps in blue capes and looting their corpses.

I couldn't help but notice the problem Dramo was running into. I think the best solution was as dosraider described. Dramo did you finally get it to work?

When I first started figuring out DOSBox it was all so hard to figure out. For starters, the config file with the autoexec section at the end (the one where you can type in the mount and cd instructions in order to automate the process) was not there with all the other installation folders. I'll try to explain what I did, in case it is of any help.

#1) I installed DOSBOX 0.73 (yay DOSBox rules) in my E:\DOSBox folder.
#2) I read the intro and mount information to figure out how to properly apply the mount command and how to navigate the different levels of this DOSBox thing. It was initially very confusing because the pertinent details seemed to be dispersed all over. Most importantly though I followed the instruction to create a games folder separated from the DOSBox installation folder: I created it in my E: drive, and called it "dosboxdrive", and unzipped a few of the Abandonia goodies into it - with each game having its own independent folder. Consequently, my mount command prompt is "mount c e:\dosboxdrive" and shows up like this:
Z:\ mount c e:\dosboxdrive

#3) To play Betrayal at Krondor I use
Z:\mount c e:\dosboxdrive
Z:\c:
That changes the z:\ prompt to c:\ and I type dir
C:\dir
Which lists the files and folders in my folder called dosboxdrive
Directory of C:\
. <DIR>
.. <DIR>
BURNTIME <DIR>
KRONDOR <DIR>
MOO <DIR>
Notably. Krondor is the folder where I installed Betrayal at Krondor. I myself changed the name to "krondor" during installation because if the name is longer than 8 characters then it gets modified to something with a ~ character and a number 1 (something like betray~1) and then it all gets reaaaaallly confusing for me. So I purposely changed the name during installation, from whatever it was before (I think it was "betrayal at krondor) to simply "krondor". Then, I move into the krondor folder holding my installation of Betrayal at Krondor by typing "cd krondor" and getting the prompt:
c:\krondor>
then I run the Betrayal at Krondor game executable itself by simply typing in "krondor".

Ok, so I guess everyone who can use DOSBox knows about all this, and if you don't know this then I doubt you're using DOSbox. Buuut, the really hard part is actually getting the mount and c prompt automated. And, the main reason, I think, is because there seems to be an explanation error in the readme text file that comes along with the DOSBox installation.

As I mentioned before, when I initially installed DOSBox 0.73 I could not see any config files in my DOSBox installed folder. In section 11 of the 52KB README text file that comes with the application, it is stated that a config file is generated by CONFIG.COM and that you can see the config file when you start DOSBox, and that you can edit the file. Buut, again, I did not see any config file. I did see a line in my DOSBox Status window which said something to the effect of "CONFIG: Loading settings from" and then some location on my c: drive which I could actually not find (perhaps it is in a hidden folder?).

**
Still fiddling around, I reread the readme, and in section 2 I came back upon the "Q: I would like to change the memory size/cpu ..." to which the reply is to "just create a config file: config -writeconf configfile" and then to edit this said file and to "start DOSBox with your new settings: dosbox -conf configfile". The answer concludes with the suggestion to see the description of the config command in section 4 of the readme.
**

Ok, the first time that I read this I simply did not look at section 4 because I had the impression that the reply to the question in section 2 was the complete solution to the problem. Wwwrooong. When I typed in "config -writeconf configfile" I did get a file of size 10KB and of type File which I did open with notepad, and which does have the text that the file ought to have, and I did edit the file's autoexec section at the end in order to automate the mount. But, when I restarted DOSBox and typed in "dosbox -conf configfile" at the Z:\ prompt or several other variations of my wacked out attempt (such as just typing in "-conf configfile"), I kept getting error reports or my DOSBox would stop responding and I had to shut it by clicking on the x at the top right hand corner. I also noticed that DOSBox could not see this file because it could not be displayed via the dir command, and not even after a rescan. So, I deleted the file.

It was only after I read section 4 of the readme file that I noticed the appropriate instructions:

1. To create a configfile in your current directory:
config -writeconf dosbox.conf

I tried that at the Z:\ prompt right after starting up DOSBox, and finally a little text file called "dosbox" popped up in my EOSBox windows folder - where I had installed DOSBox. Again, this little file was not visible through the dir command in DOSBox. (This is something about DOSBox that I still don't understand.) However, the file was clearly different (of type CONF), so I gave it a try again. I edited it by typing in my desired lines:

mount c e:\dosboxdrive
c:
dir

All this at the very end of the file, right after the line "# Lines in this section will be run at startup." I restarted DOSBox and suddenly it all worked on its own!!

After all this, even though it works for me, I still wonder about a few things:

Could I have avoided this by simply allowing the DosBox0.73-win32-installer to install DOSBox in the c:\program files folder as it first suggested?? I mean, is it the case that the CONF would've been there as opposed to being non existent in my E:\DOSBox folder where I had forced the install to occur? I don't like installing stuff in my c:\ drive as a habit and sometimes weird stuff happens as a result.

**
Is this problem specific to me with my use of the win32 installer on an XP system? In other words, do the instructions in section 2 of the readme apply and work well for other folks but do not apply to my installation??
**

How did I manage to *not remember* this from having figured out how to use DOSBox0.72?

I guess that's all. Cheers Dramo, and everybody. I feel it was worth experimenting around all that just to play Betrayal at Krondor. It seems to me that having to go through a chaotic gauntlet of small issues like this is part and parcel of the magical DOSBox experience. Still, I'm glad I never had to walk 10 miles to school, everyday, uphill, in the snow, both ways.

[dosraider]

You went through a lot of trouble for nothing.
You have a dosbox config start menu item.
One click, that's all ......
That your dosbox-073 folder is on E: doesn't matter.
http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showthread.php?t=19983
http://www.abandonia.com/vbullet/showthread.php?t=19982

Remark: if you have a dosbox.donf file in your E:\dosbox-0.73\ folder the shortcut won't edit that one and dosbox won't load the default one but the one in your dosbox folder.

I am experiencing the same problem as mentioned above (two flashing lines, sometimes one, sometimes only a black screen).

I am used to Dos-Box and all other games run fine. I tried several install options with Krondor, changing dos-box configurations (cycles, sound etc.) and nothing worked.

Idea, anyone?

[Wolf Thug]

I read the Books by Raymond.E Feist and when a played this game it was so coolzor (haha nerdy) Gawd I didn't finish it because I lost the game when My old pc went bonkers.But anyway(and yes u can begin sentences with but) I got it again and will play it when im done with Star Trek And Ultima. Its an Epic game.

[Borodin]

The funny thing is that Feist was completely uninvolved in BaK, other than to take a check for using his setting. At the time, he didn't know a thing about computer gaming. When Return to Krondor was made, Feist was much more knowledgeable and got involved--and the result was a much more cliched magic system and more linear product.

Originally Posted by dosraider

You went through a lot of trouble for nothing.

Err, yes I did. Thanks a lot for pointing this out. From here I also rediscovered the (noconsole) link to the dosbox executable - which stops that other window from popping up.

Cheers
:insertbeericonsmileythingyinhere:

[Sal]

:laugh:I am replaying BAK again after a few years. I upgraded my computers over this time and for a while did not have Dosbox so I just couldn't get the game to play..I love this game. Can't recall how many times I have played it in the past and it still seems fresh(to me anyway)
A couple of days ago I thought I would try again as I have been playing old games with the help of dosbox fairly successfully..I used the method shown to me by DosRaider when I was stuck with "Maupiti Is" and voila it works perfectly. No drama, no long involved stuff just unzip and play.HURRAH By the way I am using Dosbox 0.72