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Author Topic:   NT4 with v2.0 sound problems

LarsHanson posted 02-20-99 04:06 AM ET
Installed game on NT4 server (SP4)with SB16 sound card and Diamond Stealth video card. Both V1.0 and V2.0 had the stutter problem.
AC.ini edits did not correct the problem.
My experience tells me this is a problem with DirectX 3 for NT - which unfortunately has no dxdiag.exe like its W95 brothers. The other likely candidate is DMA channels - mine are set for 1 and 5. If DirectX doesn't support software buffering, as some other threads have indicated - we are hosed until MS gives us a new DirectX for NT or figures out a patch for software buffering sound(don't hold your breath).
It is ironic that Firaxis is providing first-class support, but doesn't have an answer for what appears to be an OS issue. At least you learned the lesson about how NOT to treat your customers from MicroProse - this customer base figures to be fiercely loyal for many years, with this level of service.
Geoffrey The posted 02-21-99 12:02 AM ET
I too would love to be able to run SMAC under Windows NT4 flawlessly. My "high-end" machine is a P2/450 running NT. My "games" machine is a P200 non-MMX running 95. Guess which one I play SMAC on. :-)
However, let's remember how trivial it would have been for Firaxis to prevent the game from running under NT at all, and let's be thankful that they chose to let us play SMAC under NT even in a limited fashion... given their limited resources and the amount of trouble they must have with "plain" win95/98 problems, I understand if they aren't willing to spend any time on figuring out NT issues.
LarsHanson posted 02-21-99 01:53 AM ET
I think you misinterpreted my post. I was praising Firaxis, not knocking them. I suspect this is a problem that they cannot work without direct MS assistance - which we both know is unlikely. I am grateful that they made it NT-compatible, even while stating in the install manual that NT was not supported.
However, reading all the posts about sound problems indicates that the OS is probably not the problem source - while DirectX almost certainly is.
BikeDude posted 02-24-99 02:29 PM ET
I too have stuttering under NT4. I truly believe this is a problem with Creative's drivers though, but perhaps other soundcards have the same problems? (I've got an AWE64)
FWIW; the demo played flawlessly under the current Win2000/NT5 Beta (Build 1946) - no stuttering whatsoever. I can't get the full game to work though on W2K (I'll post a separate thread on this).
--
Rune, http://runesbike.com
BikeDude posted 02-24-99 02:30 PM ET
I forgot to mention: I have the stuttering problems with other games as well. Specially Monkey Island III.
--
Rune
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Author	Topic: NT4 with v2.0 sound problems
LarsHanson	posted 02-20-99 04:06 AM ET Installed game on NT4 server (SP4)with SB16 sound card and Diamond Stealth video card. Both V1.0 and V2.0 had the stutter problem. AC.ini edits did not correct the problem. My experience tells me this is a problem with DirectX 3 for NT - which unfortunately has no dxdiag.exe like its W95 brothers. The other likely candidate is DMA channels - mine are set for 1 and 5. If DirectX doesn't support software buffering, as some other threads have indicated - we are hosed until MS gives us a new DirectX for NT or figures out a patch for software buffering sound(don't hold your breath). It is ironic that Firaxis is providing first-class support, but doesn't have an answer for what appears to be an OS issue. At least you learned the lesson about how NOT to treat your customers from MicroProse - this customer base figures to be fiercely loyal for many years, with this level of service.
Geoffrey The	posted 02-21-99 12:02 AM ET I too would love to be able to run SMAC under Windows NT4 flawlessly. My "high-end" machine is a P2/450 running NT. My "games" machine is a P200 non-MMX running 95. Guess which one I play SMAC on. :-) However, let's remember how trivial it would have been for Firaxis to prevent the game from running under NT at all, and let's be thankful that they chose to let us play SMAC under NT even in a limited fashion... given their limited resources and the amount of trouble they must have with "plain" win95/98 problems, I understand if they aren't willing to spend any time on figuring out NT issues.
LarsHanson	posted 02-21-99 01:53 AM ET I think you misinterpreted my post. I was praising Firaxis, not knocking them. I suspect this is a problem that they cannot work without direct MS assistance - which we both know is unlikely. I am grateful that they made it NT-compatible, even while stating in the install manual that NT was not supported. However, reading all the posts about sound problems indicates that the OS is probably not the problem source - while DirectX almost certainly is.
BikeDude	posted 02-24-99 02:29 PM ET I too have stuttering under NT4. I truly believe this is a problem with Creative's drivers though, but perhaps other soundcards have the same problems? (I've got an AWE64) FWIW; the demo played flawlessly under the current Win2000/NT5 Beta (Build 1946) - no stuttering whatsoever. I can't get the full game to work though on W2K (I'll post a separate thread on this). -- Rune, http://runesbike.com
BikeDude	posted 02-24-99 02:30 PM ET I forgot to mention: I have the stuttering problems with other games as well. Specially Monkey Island III. -- Rune