Windows Vista

A forum just for you old time Descent and Descent2 players.
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Neo
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Windows Vista

Post by Neo »

So, uh... how are we supposed to run Descent when everyone switches over to Windows Vista x64 Edition?
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d3jake
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Post by d3jake »

Well, I'm not going to, I dunno about everybody else...
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Sirius
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Post by Sirius »

The D2x family should still work shouldn't it?

If it came down to it, you could just run OpenDOS or whatever it's called through a virtual machine. If it has some kind of IP wrapper you should be sweet - just need to find a copy of KaliDOS again.
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Neo
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Post by Neo »

d3jake wrote:Well, I'm not going to, I dunno about everybody else...
Yes you are. ^_~

Well wouldn't there be some compatibility issues with D2X-XL and DLE-XP? I mean maybe compatibility mode would fix most of the problems... but... well, I was thinking about what happened when everybody tried to run D3 on XP... and what happened when people tried to run D2 on Windows 2000... and then I got worried. :\\
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d3jake
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Post by d3jake »

Oh, wanna bet Neo? I'm planning on hopping to Linux by the time it becomes the \"norm\". I mean I switched from 98 last summer.
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The Lion
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Post by The Lion »

It's absolutely great that you're planning to ditch Windows in favor of a free
(as in freedom) operating system such as GNU/Linux.

Unfortunately, it might take a big revolution and lots of casualties (users
getting so heavily fed up with their computer that they would be prepared to go
back to pencil and paper if there were no alternative OS) for GNU/Linux to
become mainstream, as it takes time to learn and get used to (like any other
OS), and still lacks support from many hardware and software vendors.

It has been my OS of choice for many years now, but I've yet to completely
break free from Windows, mostly because of D3 and some of its levels/mods.

And unless Descent 3's source code will be released, it's eventually going
to end up running on an emulator, while Descent 1 and 2 will remain
available to be played natively under any hardware and operating system
that enough people still want to play it on.
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Post by zico »

Hm there are rumors about a OpenGL implementation withing Vista. I still don't know the details, but if it's possible I will still keep D1X- and D2X-Rebirth running on that system as far as I have enough money to get a license for the system.

For Linux there will be no changes :)
DXX-Rebirth always ran and will in the future as well on Linux.
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Grendel
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Post by Grendel »

OpenGL implementation is up to the driver creators for a card. nVidia drivers will include OGL, I'm assuming that ATi's will too.
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Sirius
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Post by Sirius »

DLE-XP is a Windows application. So is the Windows version of D2X-XL actually. They'll run on Vista.

Even if they did have D3-type problems (which were probably more the result of dodgy coding in D3 than anything Microsoft did), they have the benefit of actually having an active developer, and released source code. That kind of thing can be fixed.

Usually, though, Windows doesn't have compatibility issues with Windows applications, because the API has not changed much.
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Post by Duper »

MS is supposed to dump OpenGL and D3d support with Vista. I would imagine that a wrapper will have to be made to run otherwise older windows compatible programs.
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Diedel
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Post by Diedel »

I will not buy M$ Vista. So if there are compatibility issues with Vista and D2X-XL, I will not be able to fix them.

But then we will have Core Decision anyway (I hope). ;)
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Neo
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Post by Neo »

Sirius wrote:Usually, though, Windows doesn't have compatibility issues with Windows applications, because the API has not changed much.
Doesn't Windows Vista use a newer API than older versions of Windows?
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Sirius
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Post by Sirius »

Yes, but it's a (mostly at least) compatible one.

If it weren't, you'd have to throw out every single program you already had and get either an upgraded version or something else. Microsoft isn't that stupid thankfully.

P.S. http://www.gamedev.net/community/forums ... _id=380046

Vista does support both D3D (perhaps not by the same name, but they have to have something) and OpenGL.
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Diedel
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Post by Diedel »

Wouldn't it be more correct to say Vista doesn't inhibit usage of OpenGL?
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Sirius
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Post by Sirius »

Yeah, it's just that you can't run OpenGL software on existing drivers in a window because of this desktop composition thing (probably related to the interface using D3D). Oh, unless you run it under emulation, which is guaranteed to suck, except maybe for stuff like level editors since they don't generally require a lot of rendering power.
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