Compatibility with new OSs - An oldbie trying to start again

Discussion:

(too old to reply)

Achi

2009-06-21 21:29:31 UTC

Hi guys!

I started playing creatures yeeears ago (back when there was only C1
and the creatures community was just forming) but quit after my
computers started crashing from the game. When the XP-compatible
versions were released, I never got around to buying the game again.

Now, I have several hundred norns on a backup disk somewhere and want
to buy the game that I loved so much. My question to you guys is how
well does it run on XP and Vista? I know no one knows about Windows 7
yet..

Love,
Achi

Neo

2009-06-22 13:44:16 UTC

Permalink

Post by Achi
Hi guys!
I started playing creatures yeeears ago (back when there was only C1
and the creatures community was just forming) but quit after my
computers started crashing from the game. When the XP-compatible
versions were released, I never got around to buying the game again.
Now, I have several hundred norns on a backup disk somewhere and want
to buy the game that I loved so much. My question to you guys is how
well does it run on XP and Vista? I know no one knows about Windows 7
yet..

Your best bet is "The Albian years", (c) 2004, that says it will run
under Windows XP. It has both C1 and C2 with all the life kits.

Not sure if it will accept your old data though.

Neo

--
Everything that has a beginning has an end.

Keiya

2009-06-23 03:08:49 UTC

Permalink

Post by Neo

Your best bet is "The Albian years", (c) 2004, that says it will run
under Windows XP. It has both C1 and C2 with all the life kits.
Not sure if it will accept your old data though.
Neo

Exports and cobs should work. Also, I've gotten all the games working
off the US Trilogy disk on XP, it just took some finagling. Also Also,
I've heard, but not confirmed myself, that C3/DS works on Windows 7, and
probably C1/2 will too. If you don't have the life kits, those are free
on GWD's website now, as are the Magmas and all the official sprite-only
breeds for C3/DS.

Worst come to worst, I can always try to beat fuzzie et al into
resurrecting the c2e project, which actually got somewhere on C1 support.

I'm tired and should stop rambling and go to bed.

-Keiya (who has posted (rarely, but once recently) as kyevan, but no
longer uses that (except on things I haven't reconfigured, eheheh)
for... reasons.)

The Mike

2009-06-28 18:31:03 UTC

Permalink

I'm not sure about native Windows 7 compatibility but the premium
versions of the OS will have an in-built XP emulator to run legacy
programs, which should be as compatible as the original XP.

Neo

2009-06-28 18:40:41 UTC

Permalink

Post by The Mike
I'm not sure about native Windows 7 compatibility but the premium
versions of the OS will have an in-built XP emulator to run legacy
programs, which should be as compatible as the original XP.

I understand you will have to buy two licenses then. One for Windows 7,
and one for XP.

This will make it mildly unattractive for people on a budget.

Neo

--
Everything that has a beginning has an end.

The Mike

2009-06-28 19:04:49 UTC

Permalink

Post by Neo
I understand you will have to buy two licenses then. One for Windows 7,
and one for XP.
This will make it mildly unattractive for people on a budget.
Neo
--
Everything that has a beginning has an end.

Good point, I had forgotten about that. If you upgrade from XP to 7 I
believe your license will migrate but if you're coming from Vista or
getting a new computer with the OS, I think you may be out of luck.
Although I had heard that Ultimate will include an XP license, but
that may have just been a rumour.

Keiya

2009-06-29 18:42:20 UTC

Permalink

Post by The Mike

At the price they're charging, Ultimate should come in a solid gold box
and include your very own private space shuttle.

emmel

2009-06-29 19:39:19 UTC

Permalink

Post by Keiya

Post by The Mike

At the price they're charging, Ultimate should come in a solid gold box
and include your very own private space shuttle.

The space shuttle isn't that expensive at all, it's just all those
extras like the tiling for the outside pool that add up.
--
emmel <the_emmel*you-know-what-that's-for*@gmx.net>
(Don't forget to remove the ** bit)

story archives available at http://ranira.wordpress.com

Official AGC feedback maniac

Proud owner of 1 (one) DISOBEDIENCE point.
Former owner of 1 (one) eating point (eaten, sigh).

emmel

2009-06-29 19:37:40 UTC

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Post by The Mike

I think he was kidding. It's an emulation layer rather than an emulator
anyway.
--
emmel <the_emmel*you-know-what-that's-for*@gmx.net>
(Don't forget to remove the ** bit)

story archives available at http://ranira.wordpress.com

Official AGC feedback maniac

Proud owner of 1 (one) DISOBEDIENCE point.
Former owner of 1 (one) eating point (eaten, sigh).

Neo

2009-06-30 17:01:16 UTC

Permalink

Post by emmel

Post by The Mike

Post by Neo
I understand you will have to buy two licenses then. One for Windows 7,
and one for XP.
This will make it mildly unattractive for people on a budget.

I think he was kidding. It's an emulation layer rather than an emulator
anyway.

I wasn't kidding at the time. And it is a virtual machine rather than an
emmelator I think.

I did some browsing and found out you need professional or ultimate to
virtualize XP.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/compare-editions

I also read a review where they complained about the responsiveness of
virtualized applications, but I can't find it right now. Somehow I don't
think you want to play creatures on it.

Neo

--
Everything that has a beginning has an end.

emmel

2009-07-04 06:57:33 UTC

Permalink

Post by Neo

Post by emmel

Post by The Mike

Post by Neo
I understand you will have to buy two licenses then. One for Windows 7,
and one for XP.
This will make it mildly unattractive for people on a budget.

I think he was kidding. It's an emulation layer rather than an emulator
anyway.

I wasn't kidding at the time. And it is a virtual machine rather than an
emmelator I think.
I did some browsing and found out you need professional or ultimate to
virtualize XP.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/compare-editions
I also read a review where they complained about the responsiveness of
virtualized applications, but I can't find it right now. Somehow I don't
think you want to play creatures on it.

Probably runs best on a Win98 machine... Except for C3/DS, of course,
which is naturally best run on top of Linux.
--
emmel <the_emmel*you-know-what-that's-for*@gmx.net>
(Don't forget to remove the ** bit)

story archives available at http://ranira.wordpress.com

Official AGC feedback maniac

Proud owner of 1 (one) DISOBEDIENCE point.
Former owner of 1 (one) eating point (eaten, sigh).

Keiya

2009-07-14 06:19:00 UTC

Permalink

Post by emmel
Probably runs best on a Win98 machine... Except for C3/DS, of course,
which is naturally best run on top of Linux.

Only if you don't mind REALLY HORRIBLE SOUND.

emmel

2009-07-14 07:50:49 UTC

Permalink

Post by Keiya

Post by emmel
Probably runs best on a Win98 machine... Except for C3/DS, of course,
which is naturally best run on top of Linux.

Only if you don't mind REALLY HORRIBLE SOUND.

I never had any problems with the sound on Linux. Sounded just fine.
Must have been at your end. (Back when ALSA wasn't in the kernel tree,
by any chance?)
--
emmel <the_emmel*you-know-what-that's-for*@gmx.net>
(Don't forget to remove the ** bit)

story archives available at http://ranira.wordpress.com

Official AGC feedback maniac

Proud owner of 1 (one) DISOBEDIENCE point.
Former owner of 1 (one) eating point (eaten, sigh).

Keiya

2009-07-14 09:06:54 UTC

Permalink

Post by emmel

Post by Keiya

Post by emmel
Probably runs best on a Win98 machine... Except for C3/DS, of course,
which is naturally best run on top of Linux.

Only if you don't mind REALLY HORRIBLE SOUND.

I never had any problems with the sound on Linux. Sounded just fine.
Must have been at your end. (Back when ALSA wasn't in the kernel tree,
by any chance?)

It uses SDL-Mixer, which is well known to suck horribly, since it's
supposed to be just a demo and not actually used >_>

emmel

2009-07-15 10:53:51 UTC

Post by emmel
Probably runs best on a Win98 machine... Except for C3/DS, of course,
which is naturally best run on top of Linux.

Only if you don't mind REALLY HORRIBLE SOUND.

I never had any problems with the sound on Linux. Sounded just fine.
Must have been at your end. (Back when ALSA wasn't in the kernel tree,
by any chance?)

It uses SDL-Mixer, which is well known to suck horribly, since it's
supposed to be just a demo and not actually used >_>

It's used quite a lot for that. And as I said, I never really had
problems with it.
--
emmel <the_emmel*you-know-what-that's-for*@gmx.net>
(Don't forget to remove the ** bit)

story archives available at http://ranira.wordpress.com

Official AGC feedback maniac

Proud owner of 1 (one) DISOBEDIENCE point.
Former owner of 1 (one) eating point (eaten, sigh).

Jared

2009-08-08 03:09:44 UTC

Post by emmel
Probably runs best on a Win98 machine... Except for C3/DS, of course,
which is naturally best run on top of Linux.

Only if you don't mind REALLY HORRIBLE SOUND.

I never had any problems with the sound on Linux. Sounded just fine.
Must have been at your end. (Back when ALSA wasn't in the kernel tree,
by any chance?)

It uses SDL-Mixer, which is well known to suck horribly, since it's
supposed to be just a demo and not actually used >_>

It's used quite a lot for that. And as I said, I never really had
problems with it.
--
(Don't forget to remove the ** bit)
story archives available athttp://ranira.wordpress.com
Official AGC feedback maniac
Proud owner of 1 (one) DISOBEDIENCE point.
Former owner of 1 (one) eating point (eaten, sigh).

Well... we find a solution? I don't want to run a VM if I don't have
to. it works on XP, the Albian years edition, but I am not sure I
would drop Windows 7 just for a game I love so dearly (and spent some
time hunting down a copy of....)