Dungeon Master Forum

I have xp and I've done everything with the dosBox and typed skull it acts like it trys to run and then I get an error message. What do I have to do to play this game

You must run the command DM2 ( it launches the file DM2.BAT in the same directory ) , not SKULL.EXE which is not directly executable.
Also, don't forget the sound configuration with the the command SETUP

I typed DM2...it said "illegal command", and I typed "dir" and I don't see a DM2.bat file. As for the setup...I did the autodetect command and it selected the ports and drivers, is there something differet I should do?
By the way I really do appreciate your help!!!!!!

Create a file using notepad called DM2.bat with the contents

"EREGCARD
IBMIOP SKULL.EXE"

I clicked and drug those 3 files into a notepad and saved it as DM2.bat. I got into DOSbox and typed DM2 it froze and said "not responding". What did I do wrong?

Not drag...

Just type the following into a new notepad file:

EREGCARD
IBMIOP SKULL.EXE

Save it as DM2.bat and then type DM2 in dosbox.

Actually, the line EREGCARD can be totally omited.
It's just a utility to fill the optional registration card, and it's disabled once it's done.

It started the game and I did some basic movements so I think it worked. Is there any way to make the DOSbox bigger? Also is there anything I should know thats really differet about DM2 from DM1?

Money, pushing monsters out of the way, minion spells, both hands have actions, ZO does interesting thigns in other places, money again, you can lock doors open/closed and keep the key, you can move around large items like tables and sconces and boulders...stuff like that

If you're using DOSBox, I highly recommend reading the README in its entirety, as it contains incredibly useful information for improving performance, appearance, and functionality. Finding the optimal number of cycles for your machine is the first thing you should do. (Mine is around 6500; I have an Athlon XP running at 1.8 GHz with 512 MB RAM, but optimal cycles will vary widely between systems, even if they're similar. My machine spec is going to change in a few days anyway; I ordered some new parts this week.)

The first half of DM2 takes place outdoors. If you're a big DM fan, you may not appreciate this. Be patient; the second half is all dungeon trudging, puzzle solving, etc.

Anyway, DM2 runs too slow under DOSBox on my machine, so I'm playing Lands of Lore right now. Not nearly as captivating, but it runs smooth as silk. I really like the voice overs in LOLCD. Too bad Patrick Stewart's character gets zonked in the first 30 minutes! Talk about wasting potential.

Read instructions? Who does that?!

Anyway, I believe there has been another update to DOSBOX on their page that fixes some bugs.

What happened to easing into monsters like the 1'st one...lol. I've prolly restarted 20 times. Also someone in another forum said that the initial team selection isn't as important...thats bogus. There is a major difference in some of the pc-skill levels, and attributes. In response to the cycles...your dead, on at first I was like "WTF!!! I hope the whole game isn't this slow"....thank you for the advice. Yeah money is big too, I like it though...much more like traditional RPG's. Also does anyone know of a good co-op RPG for the XBOX I have D&D Heros and love it...but like all RPG's it is always the same story.

Oh, come on! The early monsters in DM2 are laughable! Glops are incredibly easy to kill, and the Worms only require a weapon and some dodging skill. If you are dying at other parts, you need to stay somewhere safe and train your fighters up. Hit trees, or doors. And no, initial party selection doesn't mean much. Some characters have no magic and some have no fighting ability, but if you give them 4 levels in every category, they will all be decent. Except Torham. Torham is the worst character ever.

In my last post I was re-reading it and noticed a bad comma placement. It reads....your dead, and it's supposed to say dead on, ...sorry bout that. True the worms and glops are laughable but there were some other things in the first stage or 2 that really clobbered me, like the thorn demons, the axemen,the wolves, and the combination of the theiving midgets with all of the above. You can't honestly say it wasn't a little more challenging than Level2 of DM...which is prolly about the same amount of play. I don't recal getting too frustrated until Level3 and beyond.

stc4025 wrote: I don't recal getting too frustrated until Level3 and beyond.

I think you're ripe to enjoy CSB! ( sadistic smile )

Regarding the DOSBOX configuration, if the game is too slow or if the sound is chopped and increasing the number of cycles makes no improvement, try to skip one frame in two ( frameskip=1 in the config file ).

I FINALLY got permission to DL DOSbox again yesterday and I then happily spent the day playing DM2, woohoo . I'm at the Vexirks' front door now. I've noticed the sound is choppy and the game has a bit of delay to it in answering keys but since I was so happy to be playing it I've been coping. I did increase the speed but didn't mess around much with the frameskip since I wasn't really sure what it was. But I'll have a fiddle later, maybe...