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Metaltech: Earthsiege

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Metaltech: Earthsiege
Metaltech: Earthsiege cover
Developers
Dynamix
Publishers
Sierra Entertainment
Release dates
DOS July 1, 1994
Metaltech: Earthsiege on Wikipedia
Metaltech
Metaltech: Earthsiege 1994
Metaltech: Battledrome 1994
Earthsiege 2 1996
Starsiege 1999
Tribes (series)

Key points

Re-released as a free download for the series' 20th anniversary.[1]
This game is singleplayer only. Try it's multiplayer oriented semi-sequal Battledrome for more than one player.

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Retail
DRM details are not known
 CD version included INN network and various demos.
DOS
Official website
DRM-free
 Free download.
DOS

DLC and expansion packs

Name Notes
Speech Pack Adds digital voices, included in the cd versions of the base game and it's expansion.
DOS
Expansion Pack Floppy version released as freeware with main game, downloadable here. Note that only the CD version has a video intro and voiced mission briefings.
DOS

Essential improvements

Patches

Patches are available.

Run in DOSBox

Change cycles=auto to cycles=50000 and mpu401=intelligent to mpu401=uart.[2]

Modern Windows installer

The Sierrahelp Metaltech: Earthsiege Installer automatically applies the latest patch and configures DOSBox with optimal cycles and MIDI settings as well as to play the game from the hard drive.

Works with the freeware release.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

Template:Game data/row
System Location
PREFS.CFG contains in-game settings.
RESOURCE.CFG contains audio settings.

Save game data location

Template:Game data/row
System Location
\CAR holds base campaign saves.
\BAR holds expansion campaign saves.

Video settings

General settings.
General settings.

Template:Video settings

Input settings

Input settings.
Input settings.

Template:Input settings

Audio settings

Template:Audio settings

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Audio requires Voice Pack or CD version.
German
Audio requires Voice Pack or CD version.
French
Audio requires Voice Pack or CD version.

Issues fixed

Expansion won't install

Sometimes you'll get an error with the installer and it simply wont install the expansion.

Extract and install the files manually[citation needed]
  1. Use the expansion's included UNCHUNK.EXE to manually open the files with the following command: unchunk RESOURCE.000 [folder of you choice, ".\" for same folder] and let it finnish extracting the files. repeat the command but with RESOURCE.001 and RESOURCE.002.
  2. Manually merge the extracted files with the game's files, overwriting anything. Do NOT install the 1.01 patch as a special version is already integrated into the expansion; doing otherwise will crash the game upon selecting a mission.

Into cutscene issues

Copy to disk and edit cfg files[citation needed]
  1. Copy the FLIC folder and PLAYFLIC.EXE file off the game disk and place them in the game's installation folder.
  2. Open RESOURCE.CFG and edit the line pathFlic=D:\flic\ and change it to pathFlic=.\flic\ (the D: may be a different letter depending of the drive you used to install the game). Now open up ES.BAT and edit the line set ALT_DRIVE=D: (again may be different depending on the drive you used to install it) and change the D: to the letter of the disk you have the game installed on (usually C:).
  3. If you installed the expansion and the video intro no longer plays, rename the ES.EXE to ESCD.EXE and use ES.BAT to run the game.
This fix assumes you used the complete install option for the game. This may also work on real classic PCs.
The floppy version of the game only has intro slides, lacking the video entirely. It however can be added to the floppy version by transplanting the files from a cd version using the steps above. The same is true for the expansion; infact the expansion already contains the original intro videos plus it's own. Note however you may also want to copy CD expansion's PSPEECH.VOL (or PGSPEECH.VOL or PFSPEECH.VOL for German and French) file to enable the briefing voices that the floppy expansion lacks as they were not sold separately like the base game's Speech Pack.
Removing the letter from the set ALT_DRIVE= line in ES.BAT will restore the slideshow intro, replacing it with a .\ will completely disable the intro.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
DOS video modes

System requirements

DOS
MinimumRecommended
Operating system (OS) MS-DOS 5.0
Processor (CPU) 80386/33DX486/33 MHz
System memory (RAM) 4 MB8 MB
Storage drive (HDD/SSD) 27 MB (extra 8 MB needed for Speech Pack)
Video card (GPU) VGA

References