Difference between revisions of "Emperor: Battle for Dune"

Revision as of 18:45, 16 October 2021

Dune
Dune	1992
Dune II: The Building of a Dynasty	1992
Dune 2000	1998
Emperor: Battle for Dune	2001
Frank Herbert's Dune	2001
OpenRA (unofficial)	2010
Dune: Spice Wars	2023
Dune: Imperium	2024
Dune: Awakening	TBA

General information

Dune2K.com - A major Dune fansite with an active community

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		SafeDisc v2 DRM - removed with the official install fix; see Playing without the CD

Essential improvements

Patches

Patch 1.09 updates the game to the latest version.

Skip intro videos

Delete/rename video files^{[citation needed]}
Delete or rename the file `<path-to-game>\DATA\MOVIES\LEGALS.BIK`

Lag fix in Windows 8/10

Follow the procedure^{[citation needed]}

The game lags terribly in modern operating systems, such as Windows 8 and 10. In order to fix this, you have to use "dgVoodoo 2" by Dege. Follow the instructions in this video (Dark Ruler fix). The game will now run at 60 FPS in Windows 8 and 10. (Note: the program may be detected as malware; the developer of the program (Dege) asserts that it's merely a false positive).

Download dgVoodoo2 and unpack it.
Locate the file "dgVoodooSetup.exe" inside the MS folder.
Copy and paste the files in the base game directory. By default it's "C:/Westwood/Emperor".
Run "dgVoodooSetup.exe" in the game base folder.
An application will open: select your appropriate graphics card from the drop down menu in "Adapters to use/enable"; in "Apperance," choose "Centered". Now click on the "DirectX" tab above. New options will appear: input "512 MB" in the "VRAM" menu. Deselect "dgVoodoo watermark". Click on the "apply" button, then press "OK."
Run the game. Notice the main menu will still lag, but the game itself will run fine.

Playing without the CD

Follow the procedure^[1]

Copy the contents of disc 1 to the hard drive.
Replace the setup executable with the one from the official install fix.
Install the game.
Install Patch 1.09.
Extract the file EMPEROR.EXE from the install fix archive and copy it to <path-to-game>, overwriting the old file.
Copy the contents of the game disks 2, 3, and 4 into separate folders in the games directory, e.g. CD2, CD3, and CD4.
Edit the file <path-to-game>\resource.cfg. Look for the following section, where the letter X:\ represents the drive you installed the game from:

CD1
.\data\

CD2
X:\

CD3
X:\

CD4
X:\

8. Replace the letter X:\ with the respective folders for each disk, e.g. Make sue you do the same for the Movies files as well.

CD1
.\data\

CD2
.\CD2\

CD3
.\CD3\

CD4
.\CD4\

9. Save the file and run the game.

Game data

Game options

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Westwood\Emperor\Options\^{[Note 1]}

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\DATA\saves\^{[Note 2]}

Video

Advanced video settings

Graphics feature	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution		Forcing a resolution other than 4:3 results in a cropped screen. See the WSGF entry.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed	Use dgVoodoo 2
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Anti-aliasing (AA)	Can be forced in video card's Control Panel or by using dgVoodoo 2.
Vertical sync (Vsync)	See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS	UI animations are framerate dependent and seem to be intended for 30 FPS, playing twice as fast as they should at 60 FPS and four times as fast at 120 FPS.

Input

Input settings

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping		Mouse controls can't be changed. LMB is for selection/orders, RMB is deselection/viewport panning, LMB+RMB viewport rotation.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Touchscreen optimised		Depends on system to co-operate. Only if touch input doubles as mouse input (tapping = LMB, holding = RMB, etc.). No special touch-screen controls or touch-screen control-overlay
Controller
Controller support

Controller types

Audio

Audio settings

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Music, Sound and Voice
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
French
German
Korean
Traditional Chinese

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play		8	Versus
Online play		4	Versus

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
Direct3D	7

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Cutscenes	Bink Video
Multiplayer	Westwood Online

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	95	98, 2000, ME
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium II 400 MHz
System memory (RAM)	64 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	600 MB
Video card (GPU)	16 MB of VRAM DirectX 7 compatible

Notes

↑ Applications writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE will be redirected to other locations based on various criterias, see the glossary page for more details.
↑ When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References

↑ Verified by User:Plokite Wolf on 2021-10-14

[HKLM-2] Applications writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE will be redirected to other locations based on various criterias, see the glossary page for more details.

[gamedir-3] When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

[1] Verified by User:Plokite Wolf on 2021-10-14

[1]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

@@ Line 37: / Line 37: @@
 ==Availability==
 {{Availability|
-{{Availability/row| Retail | | key, disc check | {{Removed DRM|SafeDisc|v2}} - SafeDisk removed with the official install fix, generic volume-label CD checks persist; see [[#Playing with out CDs & restoring cutscenes|Playing with out CDs & restoring cutscenes]] | | Windows }}
+{{Availability/row| Retail | | key, disc check | {{Removed DRM|SafeDisc|v2}} - removed with the official install fix; see [[#Playing without the CD|Playing without the CD]] | | Windows }}
 }}
-=====Essential improvements=====
+==Essential improvements==
-===Install Fix + Patches===
+===Patches===
-{{ii}} [http://dune2k.com/Duniverse/Games/Emperor/Downloads/Patches Install Fix] Fixes Installation and Game Startup. Required on Windows 10+
 {{ii}} [http://dune2k.com/Duniverse/Games/Emperor/Downloads/Patches Patch 1.09] updates the game to the latest version.
-===Official Install Fix procedure for Windows 10===
-# Copy ONLY the setup up folder of disc 1 to the hard drive.
-# Replace the setup executable INSIDE the setup folder with the one from the official [http://dune2k.com/Duniverse/Games/Emperor/Downloads/Patches install fix].
-# Install the game.
-# Extract the file <code>EMPEROR.EXE</code> from the install fix archive and copy it to <code>{{p|game}}</code>, overwriting the old file.
-# The Official Win 10 Install Fix is now Complete
-# Install [http://dune2k.com/Duniverse/Games/Emperor/Downloads/Patches Patch 1.09].
 ===Skip intro videos===
@@ Line 59: / Line 48: @@
 Delete or rename the file <code>{{p|game}}\DATA\MOVIES\LEGALS.BIK</code>
 }}
+===Lag fix in Windows 8/10===
-===Performance/Crash fix in Windows 8/10===
 {{Fixbox|description=Follow the procedure|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix=
-This section is only for people who've applied all the install fix patches above and still have issues. The game can behave oddly on modern operating systems, such as Windows 8 and 10. Hyperactive mouse cursor, strange stuttering despite good framesrates. Some users report an immediate crash with error message "Action not supported". The most commonly recommended fix for all these problems is a wrapper called "dgVoodoo 2" by [http://dege.freeweb.hu/ Dege]. Follow the instructions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3bDuhJm5nU in this video (Dark Ruler fix).] This should eliminate any issues. If you still have problems, recheck both that the install fixes were applied and that dgVoodoo 2 is installed correctly. (''Note: the program may be detected as malware, this is because heuristic malware engines can't really tell a good function modifier from a bad one. Do some research if you have any concerns. You will see it is quite a popular fix for old games.).''
+The game lags terribly in modern operating systems, such as Windows 8 and 10. In order to fix this, you have to use "dgVoodoo 2" by [http://dege.freeweb.hu/ Dege]. Follow the instructions [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3bDuhJm5nU in this video (Dark Ruler fix).] The game will now run at 60 FPS in Windows 8 and 10. (''Note: the program may be detected as malware; the developer of the program ([http://dege.freeweb.hu/ Dege]) asserts that it's merely a false positive).''
 # [http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2/ Download dgVoodoo2] and unpack it.
 # Locate the file "dgVoodooSetup.exe" inside the MS folder.
-# Copy and paste the files in the base game directory. By default, it's "C:/Westwood/Emperor".
+# Copy and paste the files in the base game directory. By default it's "C:/Westwood/Emperor".
 # Run "dgVoodooSetup.exe" in the game base folder.
-# An application will open: select your appropriate graphics card from the drop-down menu in "Adapters to use/enable"; in "Appearance," choose "Centered". Now click on the "DirectX" tab above. New options will appear, input "512 MB" in the "VRAM" menu. Deselect "dgVoodoo watermark". Click on the "apply" button, then press "OK."
+# An application will open: select your appropriate graphics card from the drop down menu in "Adapters to use/enable"; in "Apperance," choose "Centered". Now click on the "DirectX" tab above. New options will appear: input "512 MB" in the "VRAM" menu. Deselect "dgVoodoo watermark". Click on the "apply" button, then press "OK."
 # Run the game. Notice the main menu will still lag, but the game itself will run fine.
 }}
-===Playing with out CDs & restoring cutscenes===
+===Playing without the CD===
+{{Fixbox|description=Follow the procedure|ref=<ref>{{Refcheck|user=Plokite Wolf|date=2021-10-14|comment=}}</ref>|fix=
-(There has been serious misinformation surrounding this subject that needs addressing)
+# Copy the contents of disc 1 to the hard drive.
-*The official SafeDisk patches (SETUP.exe/EMEPROR.exe) only remove the advanced SafeDisk checks that broke under Windows 10.
+# Replace the setup executable with the one from the official [http://dune2k.com/Duniverse/Games/Emperor/Downloads/Patches install fix].
-*Several generic volume label CD checks persist during campaign selection even after the official install fixes are applied.
+# Install the game.
-*The patch was never meant to remove the CD requirement, only restore playability.
+# Install [http://dune2k.com/Duniverse/Games/Emperor/Downloads/Patches Patch 1.09].
-*THERE IS NO '''OFFICIAL''' WAY TO PLAY WITHOUT A CD. You will have to source the '''UNOFFICIAL''' GAME.EXE patch (Google it)
+# Extract the file <code>EMPEROR.EXE</code> from the install fix archive and copy it to <code>{{p|game}}</code>, overwriting the old file.
-*The following steps only work to restore cutscenes when using the '''UNOFFICIAL''' GAME.exe patch
-*These facts were carelessly omitted in the original version of this article.
-{{Fixbox|description=Follow the procedure carefully | comment= The previous version of this section was factually incorrect and responsible for hundreds of misguided forum queries I've had to correct in community circles for over the past 5 years. The SafeDisk patch only removes SafeDisk, it does not remove all CD checks outright, leaving several volume label checks behind. You cannot get NOCD to work using official sources, editing "resource.cfg" and moving the files over alone. A third cracked "Game.EXE" is required. If it is against the rules to discuss this it is best to delete the entire play without CD's sub-section as everything mentioned is invalidated and made pointless because none of it is possible without said crack. Resource.cfg was intended to let the player move the cutscenes to their hard drive to improve load times, they were still expected to keep the CD in the tray to prove ownership of the game. This was normal in 2001 even though it seems absurd now. It just turned out to be a matter of convenience that we can use the resource.cfg to direct the game to its cutscenes after a NOCD patch is applied. This was never the intent. Had I know this was where the source of bad information was coming from I would have acted sooner. The original guide fails to mention it depends on unofficial modified executables and has been out for so long it has resulted in a persistent belief the game can be made to run without CD's using only official resources. I can't. I can only assume the author pirated a copy of the game that came with the crack already and was unaware of the fact when they wrote this guide. I've already had to correct this article once and someone came back around and reversed the corrections. Please if you value correct information leave my changes applied. If you take issue with my references to unofficial sources remove the entire NOCD section as it is giving the wrong impression that NOCD works with official sources. }}
-# Source the unofficial 1.09 NOCD GAME.EXE and copy over the original GAME.EXE.
-# Applying this patch breaks cutscenes(because they are on the CDs) You will have to follow the remaining steps below to restore cutscenes in-game.
 # Copy the contents of the game disks 2, 3, and 4 into separate folders in the games directory, e.g. CD2, CD3, and CD4.
 # Edit the file <code>{{p|game}}\resource.cfg</code>. Look for the following section, where the letter <code>X:\</code> represents the drive you installed the game from:
@@ Line 118: / Line 96: @@
 .\CD4\
 </pre>
+. Save the file and run the game.
-. Do the same edits to wherever it says Movie.
+}}
-. Save the file and run the game.
-===Playing on Linux with Wine using mounted images===
-This is not a tutorial on how to use wine, this guide simply resolves
-the one major hurdle to getting wine working properly with backup disk images.
-Disk images are a great way to keep your 20-year-old  collectable game CD's safe in their jewel cases.
-They work great with E:BFD under Windows but sadly there are a few extra hurdles for us Linux users to consider.
-The main issue is the game won't be able to see the images even when they are mounted.
-The mount point of the image that holds our files is user-readable, however,
-device information is held on the device loop located at /dev/loop*.
-This is not user-readable and sadly is what holds the volume labels the game hunts
-for at various points while playing. This isn't usually a problem for wine as it's
-a very niche situation. This is why the installer works fine with images when running under
-Windows but not in Linux under Wine. To resolve this I have 3 solutions of varying permanence.
-'''CHOOSE ONLY ONE'''
-#Quickest, but least permanent. Permissions fixing.
-Every time you mount the disk image to play the game simply run the following in the terminal. It will set permissions to user-readable on the device associated with your disc image so Wine can read the label off of the image as we need it to. Wipes every reboot.
-<pre>
-sudo losetup --list | grep 'Dune\|Emperor' | cut -f1 -d' ' | xargs sudo chmod 0664
-</pre>
-#More steps but holds till you wipe your WINEPREFIX.
-We need to find out the drive label in our wineprefix associated with out mounted image. You'll have to look under winecfg. Lets pretend it is x.
-In our wineprefix under dosdevices directory you will see two symlinks, X: and X:: the first points to our image mount point, the other points to the loop device it's attached to. We need to delete X:: the loop device link, and make a new one pointing directly from our image file to X::
-<pre>
-cd ~/.wine/dosdevices
-rm x::
-ln -s /path/to/EMPEROR1.iso x::
-</pre>
-Wine will be able to read the label off of that link. Reopen winecfg to make sure you can see the Volume label populated under the CD drive when you have advanced options selected.
-#Lasts forever. Takes longest. Requires ISO editing tool, I used iso master.
-For this we are going to add a file named .windows-label to the root of each iso image.
-<pre>
-echo "EMPEROR1" | sudo tee /.windows-label
-</pre>
-Move the generated file to the root of your iso. Then repeat this process for disks 2, 3 and 4.
-With this label file added to the disk images wine will forever be able to read the volume label any time you go to use it which means the Installer will be happy and put up no complaints about there not being a CD
 ==Game data==

Developers

	Westwood Studios
	Intelligent Games
Publishers
	Electronic Arts
Release dates
Windows	June 12, 2001
Taxonomy
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	Bird's-eye view
Controls	Multiple select, Point and select
Genres	RTS
Themes	Sci-fi
Series	Dune