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Creatures 2 attempt on Win10   
Norngirl

Norngirl
Sweden  

 visit Norngirl's website: Norngirl's Temporary Storage
  1/6/2017

I do not expect to get any help or ideas at all as I know the whole run C2 on win10 is still not solved 100% ,but if there is any who knows any solution I welcome it,of course!
It is very much appreciated!

Before you ask,Yes I been searching trough al win8/Win10 related topics about how to (try) running Creatures 2 on Windows 10.
I been experimenting to try running on my sisters new win10 with our Albian years game.

At first I readed this:
http://creaturescaves.com/community.php?section=Resources&view=78

I could NOT follow it fully,as for her computer,
you have to set it to compatible mode on something and
set it on 16bit colors,and run trough her start meny,by click "run as admin" (clicking it normaly do NOT work).
This resulted in the famous black screen I heard of:
https://creatures.wiki/Black_Box_of_Doom

But the luck was short as we fired up the task manager trough
Ctrl-Alt-Del made it crash down and that was the last of it,as every atempt on starting C2 ended up in a error screen of:
"The error [DDERR_INVALIDPARAMS] has been detected when attempting to draw game sprites.
Please check that your desktop is in 16-bit video mode, Microsoft DirectX is correctly installed and
that you have the latest driver software for your graphics card.
Extra information: [Creatures path]\dung.S16"

After that,I uninstalled Albian years (because I could not update Creatures 1,as that made that game corrupt-but thats another story thought,but is the reason why I uninstalled Creatures 1&2)

I installed Albian Years again (this time I did install the remaster patch,now applied on both Creatures 1 and 2,as well skipped the 2 updates for C1.)

This time,I decide to try something that did work for my win vista and for my sisters old win 7 - hexing the Creatures 2 exe.

The result this time:

Creatures 2 exe setup - Hex edit with numbers of C3 on 55 just as supposed according this link:
http://creaturescaves.com/forum.php?view=12&thread=3202

In addition I set the exe back on Compatible mode Win service pack 3 XP set with high color 16bit.

(this worked as a charm on my old win vista,as well on my sisters win 7.) But since this is a win10....

The final result: Game runs ,but graphic is all white or transperant (see trough your'e desktop). only toolbar & applets is visible along with the hand.
Drag hand all over the screen and it gets black,like you are painting the screen black with the hand.

Hoovering hand over something still pop up the white text tags for items,as it does ingame ("incubator","egg" etc" - thats the only "hint" you get on where items are on the black screen of nothingness, you can also pick up objects you cant see,but only the hand indicates it,as well the sound (if it is a ball,when droped you hear the bounce sound,like normal).
Sound and music can be heard,applets can be run.
clicking import makes the game shut down - it dosn't even show the import screen.
Worth to note that everytime you pick an egg (it will be imported,but you can't see it), if clicking import sothe game ends,
starting the game again make the egg repair back,as it never was picked (not normal - usualy if you picked a egg and it crash,the egg usualy counts as gone from the hatchery applet.

Here is a image showing wha it looks like:
http://sta.sh/01v76xwqngnl
(I hope it is visible - Please do Tell me if it do not shows!)

So the game is running,but have graphical issues along with the
import creature issue - fix that and C2 is playable and enjoyable again.

So,any ideas?

And yes,I apologize but I could not find the topic about
how to make links clickable around here again,and shame on me for being around so long and not remembering how.
Can allways copy&paste in the links and hit enter if anything else fail.


 
Kule

Kule



  1/7/2017

Might just be better to run an old version of windows in virtualbox. It's much easier to use than I expected.

As for your screenshot I can't say for sure but your glitch looks very similar to one I had in an older game. The cause was from a memory leak.


edit: Just thought I'd add that C2 runs on win10 64bit(without anniversary update) for me but it's completely unplayable with the lag and the hand cursor doesn't show up so you can't tell what you're doing. ctrl+alt+del then cancel removes the large black box.

 
C-Rex
Lollipop Lord

C-Rex


 visit C-Rex's website: The Norn Nebula
  1/7/2017

I second Kule's opinion - the game is practically unplayable on Windows 10. I don't understand why GOG.com haven't addressed this issue already - has anyone tried contacting them?
 
Brynn

Brynn



  1/7/2017

Hi, fellow Win10 C2 player here. I'd like to third the virtual machine option but I also managed to get C2 running on Win10.

I had the white display issue after getting the [DDERR_INVALIDPARAMS] error for a while too. I managed to get around it by using an entirely different display monitor (no idea why it works but it does.) My guess is that if it runs but has issues displaying the screen, that means your screen is the issue - either because of the refresh rate or the 16-bit display mode isn't compatible with C2 (this is pure conjecture). My other display screen, which will correctly display C2, is an older flatscreen monitor. If you have other display monitors, try hooking up your sister's computer or laptop to it?

(Please keep in mind I have no idea why my C2 stopped working, then started working again. This is just my personal experience after failing to get Virtual Machines working.)

Unfortunately, I have no experience with your gameplay issues - I have exporting errors, not import errors. Hopefully you'll have less of those once you get the display functionality down.

 
SplicerTheDicer

SplicerTheDicer



  1/7/2017

I played C2 on win10 for a few months, but only with a virtual PC. I couldn't get it to run on the actual computer at all, so you were ahead of me in that regard.
I really just suggest using a virtual PC since it's so easy to use. As far as I know anything XP and lower will work fine.

 
C-Rex
Lollipop Lord

C-Rex


 visit C-Rex's website: The Norn Nebula
  1/8/2017

May I ask which virtual PC software you're using?
 
Norngirl

Norngirl


 visit Norngirl's website: Norngirl's Temporary Storage
  1/8/2017

Wow didn't know I would get so many replies!
Thank you so much everyone!

Im happy you let me know that trying to keeping force running C2 on Win10 would not lead anywhere to gameplayable,
unless being lucky it seem.
I felt like I was so close when I saw the game running as it should,minus the glitchy graphic and the strange import option make it crash (we could not try the export as there was hard to drop the invisible egg in the glitchy pitch black darkness)

I am unable to try Brynn's suggestion with connecting with another monitor for the moment, as the old screens we have are broken (unless im luckt to find one old spare that may work,hmm). But I will keep that in mind to test it out when I can - alltought it may be a bit clunky as it is a (brand new Win10) Laptop,I guess it is at least something,Thanks Brynn. :)

Yeah indeed it's quite sad that Creatures 2 and win10 dosn't go well togheter,while all the other Creatures games,surprisingly even the very first oldest game do run in windows10 without any visible problems. She had a Win7 laptop that ran fine with the Hex edit of the exe of C2. Sadly her Win7 Laptop is not working propely and it's a long story - so she got this brand new Win10 laptop and wanted to test out most of our ol beloved games would work with it.

The only issue I had was with the two update exes for C1,
but injector kit update works fine. I can't recall if the updates was
important enough to make a huge differ. I might start another topic about that - this is about C2 on win10 afterall ;)

I see that all of you suggest Virtual PC.
Good thing to hear it seem to be of ease and it works!

It's a thing I been thinking about as a last resort and I heard of it a bit about it before ,but I do not have much knowledge about it.
so please forgive me if I ask things things that may sound stupid,
but I am new to it afterall.

So how does it work? I guess Virtual Pc is free but
but does it involve that I have to pay for an old OS to get and install just to make it work togheter with it? Not that I know if old OS is sold (sound maybe stupid,I know - but better be safe than sorry)

Would appreciate any help with it,
as it seem you all have a waste knowledge about it.
Thanks again for being kind and being helpful!

Thanks in advance

 
Kule

Kule



  1/8/2017  2

Go here https://www.virtualbox.org/

you need an .iso for the copy of windows you want then select 'New' and just follow the steps. Might want to set ram a little higher than suggested, maybe 500mb-1gb for win7. Also the way it deals with HDD space is VirtualBox will create an disc image file for 10GB but your physical drive won't use the full 10GB.. that's just the max.

Other than that once you've installed win7 it will behave like another computer. You can restart/shutdown from the start menu and I'd recommend you enable file drop and drag from the top menu to make things easier.

 
Norngirl

Norngirl


 visit Norngirl's website: Norngirl's Temporary Storage
  1/9/2017

Thank you so much Kule!
I will have a look at it,but the site do look a bit confussing to be honest.
I do still have some questions:

1. I tried to google around but I didn't get my answer on the OS itself.
You mentioned Iso file and in that case I have to search trough internet to download one somewhere??
Im not sure if you meant the windows Xp/7/8 etc OS Iso will be made with the Virtualbox?
(I do read you wrote: "VirtualBox will create an disc image " but I was not sure if you meant a true Win OS Iso)


2. I also wonder if choosing Win XP instead of Win7 would be perhaps better?
as with Win7 I had to edit the C2 exe with the hex program,while with Win XP it is just install and run + perhaps be able to play other old games that only works for XP.

otherwise I stick with win7 and try the suggestion you mentioned,of course. But I was curious if Win XP might be a better choice and if there was som specific settings for it,like the win7 you described.

3. Do I need to re-install Albian years just for virtualmachine or it can locate the current installed game that sits in win10's program folder allready?
You mentioned it will behave like another pc,but im unsure if it is able to detect existing folders and somehow share it or it have it's own set of folders that is seperate from win10.

I guess I do not have any more questions for now.
I have run DosBox,various game emulators but never anything like this, so sorry again for the newbie questions. I hav tried google my question but couldn't find anything.

 
Kule

Kule



  1/9/2017

1. a. You can grab WinXP with service pack 3 here for free. I've tested it and it's clean.

b. By disc image I mean a file like a windows backup image file for recovery or something. VirtualBox will make a file on your PC that acts as an emulated HDD with a capacity of 10GB(more/less if you choose). It will appear to be using the max capacity straight away but I think it's a limitation of windows to display the correct file size. The correct size is whatever VirtualBox is showing.

2. Yeah I think WinXP would be easier although apparently I have bad luck and can't even get C2 to work with it. Just keeps telling me another program is busy/waiting.

3. Yep you'll need to drag the installer for albian years into the virtual machine window.. it' a whole seperate operating system on your PC and works like it's own computer. Windows updates included. Drivers are emulated thankfully.

 
Rha

Rha



  1/9/2017

Ah yep, I managed to make it work but with lag too, the black box can be remedied but the lag is really something... The hand doesn't work well either it lags and doesn't 'speak'.
Might have to try virtualbox some day.



 
Norngirl

Norngirl


 visit Norngirl's website: Norngirl's Temporary Storage
  1/12/2017

@Kule - Just downloaded it along with VirtualBox 5.1.12 platform packages (not sure if that's the right one)

I haven'tinstalled them just yet.
I will return and reply back if I have more questions and how the progress goes.

@ Kule: What Creatures 2 did you try run it with?
I am going to try our Triple pack: http://creatures.wikia.com/wiki/Creatures_Triple_Pack
This (and the original C2 CD allways worked on my Win XP)

@ Rha - thats sad to hear : (
I hope Virtual box will work for you!
-btwn: bit off-topic but I do think it sound interessting about the bibble mention you have about a simple pet-sim :3 )

 
Kule

Kule



  1/12/2017

I was using the version from gog.com
 
clarechan

clarechan



  2/4/2017

Hello! I don't know if I'll get an answer but I just followed this and downloaded Virtualbox but I don't know what file to mount? I downloaded from gog.com but there's no iso file. I can only find the Creatures 2.exe
 
BaffleBlend

BaffleBlend



  2/4/2017

clarechan wrote:
Hello! I don't know if I'll get an answer but I just followed this and downloaded Virtualbox but I don't know what file to mount? I downloaded from gog.com but there's no iso file. I can only find the Creatures 2.exe


First, install the VirtualBox Guest Additions .iso onto the machine. (It comes with VirtualBox and is available from the menu at the top of every machine.)
After that's installed, go to the Settings for that machine and set a Shared Folder—a folder on the host machine that the VM will interpret as a network folder and can read from.
Then, on the host machine, paste the .exe and any other files you need such as COBs, etc. in the Shared Folder.

 


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