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Running Ultima VII: The Black Gate/Serpent Isle in Windows XP / Vista Using DOSBox by Ganesh
Version 1.04
Introduction
Yes folks, its now possible to run Ultima VII in Windows 98/ME/2000/XP/Vista! Thanks to the programmers of DOSBox, we can now bring back those good old memories of Ultima VII right in our Windows Desktop!
DOSBox emulates an Intel x86 PC, complete with sound, graphics, mouse, modem, etc., necessary for running many old DOS games that simply cannot be run on modern PCs and operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows 2000, Windows XP, Linux and FreeBSD.
This means, we can still play the Ultima games like the old times, in a DOS window, or full screen! This guide focuses on getting the Ultima VIIs running under DOSBox.
WHAT YOU NEED
A copy of the game
DOSBox (download the Windows Win32 installer here)
A fast CPU, I am tried it on a Intel Pentium 4 1.8Ghz and it runs ideally for me.
Setting up DOSBox
Install DOSBox accepting all default options. The programs will be visible in the Start Menu.
Open up DOSBox.conf. This is the DOSBox configuration file. Here we will configure DOSBox to properly emulate Ultima VII's preferred environment.
Search and replace the following values
Search for
And replace with
joysticktype=auto
joysticktype=none
ems=true
ems=false
umb=true
umb=false
Now comes the DOS Stuff. At the end of the file, we have to add some DOS commands to run Ultima VII automatically.
For this guide, I will assume the Ultima VII: The Black Gate files are placed in a folder named "ULTIMA7" (note: keep to less than 8 characters for DOS compatibility). Serpent Isle is placed in a folder named "ULTIMA72". Both are in the C drive. So the DOS way to represent this folder would be
C:\ULTIMA7 (for Black Gate)
C:\ULTIMA72 (for Serpent Isle)
To get DOSBox to recognize this folder, we have to ADD the following at the END of the DOSBox.conf file
mount c: C:\ULTIMA7 (Replace "C:\ULTIMA7" with another folder name if you are using a different folder)
mount d: C:\ULTIMA72 (Replace "C:\ULTIMA72" with another folder name if you are using a different folder)
To increase the volume of the MIDI sound effects to be on level with the volume controller, ADD this line to the END of the document
mixer fm +250
DOSBox now recognises the two games as two separate drives. Note that all these are emulated, so your real C:\ULTIMA7 is now C Drive and C:\ULTIMA72 is now D Drive in DOSBox.
Save the file and close. Run DOSBox. To access The Black Gate, type
C: <Enter>
Likewise, if you want to access The Serpent Isle folder, type
D: <Enter>
Configure each of the games by executing INSTALL at the prompt (for each game) and selecting Sound Blaster, 220h and IRQ 7 for DOSBox sound emulation to work properly.
INSTALL <Enter>
Run the game and enjoy!
ULTIMA7 (for Black Gate)
SERPENT (for Serpent Isle)
To switch it in full screen, press Alt+Enter together.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1)
Where can I get Ultima VII: The Black Gate and the Serpent Isle Collection?
You can get it from here.
2)
The speed is too slow! How can I make it run faster?
Hit Ctrl+F11 to decrease the CPU cycle usage as it may be too high, or hit Ctrl+F12 to increase CPU Cycle. Do note that it is normal for Ultima VII to be sluggish at graphic heavy areas, such as Lord British's castle. In my 3GHz system, I had to bump it to 9000Ghz to get it up to normal speed.
3)
The Guardian voice is booming much louder than the sound effects!
This should not be a issue anymore as the command "mixer fm +350" (already in the above config) makes the MIDI sound effects in line with the Guardian voice.
4)
Why do this when Exult already solves this problem of running the game in modern operating systems?
Exult is an excellent project and I applaud their team for the hard work put in. But some of us (like me), prefer to play it in its true original form.
5)
The image looks quite blur when I play the game on my LCD screen!
This is a result of the LCD's native resolution being much higher than Ultima VII's 320 x 200 resolution. You can try working around this by setting the fullresolution in DOSBOX.conf to 1024x768 (for 15" LCDs) if that is your desktop resolution, if not replace it with your desktop resolution. The disadvantage of this method is that it produces a black border around the game.
A better way is to set the scaler value in the DOSBOX.conf file to hq3x. This magnifies the game 3x higher.
For those who are using CRTs displays, you will be able to enjoy the game in its original visuals by setting the scaler to none. However, some bigger CRTs such as 19 inch CRTs support do not support 320 x 200 so you have to leave it at normal2x or hq2x.
The final alternative is to try Exult instead, which supports high resolutions.
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Awe, thank you so much! That's exactly what I was looking for. So it's the DOSBox.conf file where I can disable EMS. A hug and a kiss from a female game fanatic!
