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Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

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Conut
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Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Conut »

Ok, been playing Carmageddon games since about 1998-'99. I've looked through the internet, followed advice from problems similar enough(or so I thought) from users like Toshiba 3. No matter what I try I cannot get the Spec Ed, or Abba to work with my Steam Carmageddon (Sure they work if I click the .exe from the Spec Ed, but then I get a tiny screen and no in-game music nor does it count my in-game hours).

So what happens is with Abba I get "FATAL ERROR: Can't open car resolution dependent file.". Now I can get past that if I add "VOLVO.pix" from "pixelmap" into "32X20X8", and"64X20X8", and "VOLVO.txt" from "64X20X8" into "32X20X8". Though then what I get is "FATAL ERROR: Can't load cockpit image.".

Now as far as Spec Ed mod. the error I get when I have it set up to where I expect it should work(Yes I do type in the code 'iwanttofiddle" in-game before applying the mod) is "Fatal Error: Can't open C:\CARMA\DATA\NONCARS\33Minecart.exe.".

I'm not a experienced modder even if I've been a Carmageddon fan for over two decades now not that I don't at all just not experienced. I've tried other various methods to try and fix the problem like Toshiba's suggestion on a steam forum of opening " dosboxCARMA_single.conf" in notepad, and changing "3dfx.exe" to "voodo2c.exe -vrush". That got me past the No CD problem the game was giving me after I applied Spec Ed but then I encountered the aforementioned problems(Also sometimes after a fresh install and Spec Ed application I don't even have to do the 3dfx to voodoo thing for whatever reason. Though still have to deal with the other problems).

Odd thing is some time ago I think I actually got all of it to work through steam on another(though much weaker (encountered debilitating lag on some levels of the Spec Ed))computer of mine that died(more or less). Though I may also have been using an older version of Spec Ed. Though IDK why Abba would have worked cause I was driving that vehicle, and I didn't really see myself trying much else I haven't thus far recently on my new comp.

Anyway I'm not sure what other info to give, so I'll just leave it at any help with getting "Carmageddon Special Edition" as well as addon vehicles like Abba Cab to work on steam with Windows 10(Oh right I was also using Windows 7 on my old comp good ol' 7)would be badass. I really am feeling like playing some Carmageddon lately, just not the standard that I've beaten more then once.(or the splat pack).
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Re: Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Toshiba-3 »

Hello and welcome,

Right off the bat, the Special Edition is a stand alone pack and not meant to be installed over another release and especially not run in 3DFX mode. Also it already comes entirely decrypted so if you type "IWANTTOFIDDLE" after extracting the SE, it'll try to re-encrypt the whole thing (and probably generate errors within the fanmade stuff).
It is fairly easy to get it running in 3DFX mode within DOSBox if you want to check: rename the DATA folder from the C1 Steam install into oldDATA or whatever, and extract the DATA from the SE pack in its place. You'll see some levels take forever to load, some cars might not be textured, and the overal FPS will drop severely. The SE takes advantage of Carma95's software mode and running natively in Windows.

If by "tiny window" you mean the 640x480 one, then there is not much to do besides running it in fullscreen mode maybe. Personaly I keep it in windowed mode but double the resolution in ddraw.ini. However if the window is REALLY tiny (320x200) then you're not running the SE via CARMAGEDDON.BAT and should give it a look. It runs the executable with the -hires argument.

About the Abba Cab: it's a 10+ years old oversight on my part. The cockpit images and font bits it uses are assets from the Splat Pack which I didn't include in the .rar archive..! A quick fix is to simply delete DATA\64X48X8\CARS\VOLVO.TXT, but that'll default the cockpit and hud elements to the Eagle's. Else you can also copy these files from the Splat Pack to the C1 install:

Code: Select all

CKPT90F.PIX
CKPT90L.PIX
CKPT90R.PIX
HSPEEDR.PIX
HTACHO3.PIX
HGEARSR.PIX
They are located in DATA\64X48X8\PIXELMAP.
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Conut
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Re: Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Conut »

Toshiba-3 wrote: Sat Feb 27, 2021 10:21 am Hello and welcome,

Right off the bat, the Special Edition is a stand alone pack and not meant to be installed over another release and especially not run in 3DFX mode. Also it already comes entirely decrypted so if you type "IWANTTOFIDDLE" after extracting the SE, it'll try to re-encrypt the whole thing (and probably generate errors within the fanmade stuff).
It is fairly easy to get it running in 3DFX mode within DOSBox if you want to check: rename the DATA folder from the C1 Steam install into oldDATA or whatever, and extract the DATA from the SE pack in its place. You'll see some levels take forever to load, some cars might not be textured, and the overal FPS will drop severely. The SE takes advantage of Carma95's software mode and running natively in Windows.

If by "tiny window" you mean the 640x480 one, then there is not much to do besides running it in fullscreen mode maybe. Personaly I keep it in windowed mode but double the resolution in ddraw.ini. However if the window is REALLY tiny (320x200) then you're not running the SE via CARMAGEDDON.BAT and should give it a look. It runs the executable with the -hires argument.

About the Abba Cab: it's a 10+ years old oversight on my part. The cockpit images and font bits it uses are assets from the Splat Pack which I didn't include in the .rar archive..! A quick fix is to simply delete DATA\64X48X8\CARS\VOLVO.TXT, but that'll default the cockpit and hud elements to the Eagle's. Else you can also copy these files from the Splat Pack to the C1 install:

Code: Select all

CKPT90F.PIX
CKPT90L.PIX
CKPT90R.PIX
HSPEEDR.PIX
HTACHO3.PIX
HGEARSR.PIX
They are located in DATA\64X48X8\PIXELMAP.
Ok, TY for the swift reply!

I'll try some of that.

Also I had it running full screen however long ago on my laggy comp driving Abba. I guess IDC about having music, but I can't remember how to make it be fullscreen. Would you mind telling me how to? Cause the Spec Ed works with Abba, and I can deal with none of the awesome ingame FF music if I can just get fuillscreen and play it on my new comp without lag.
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Conut
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Re: Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Conut »

Oh and I tried the stuff suggested to get Abba Cab to work in C1 right after my last post. still get the same errors. In fact I get the errors trying to use Abba in the Splat Pack as well.

Not sure why. Figured I'd let you know before you potentially check back, maybe you know what could be the cause.
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Re: Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Toshiba-3 »

Now I can't explain that :sdead: I just did the test again with the Steam/GOG release for both DOS 3DFX and DOS software modes. The truck works right away with the Splat Pack, and it also works if I copy the missing SP files over to C1.
You mentioned in your first post that you had tried working around the error messages by moving files around, did you undo that (as that was not necessary)? Just to be sure, you don't type IWANTTOFIDDLE every time you install a mod, right?
Is trying over a fresh install a possibility? Which exact error message did the DOS prompt show in your last attempts? (if the window closes before you can read it, add 'pause' before each 'exit' in dosboxCARMA_single.conf)

To play the SE in fullscreen mode, grab this archive https://github.com/CnCNet/cnc-ddraw/releases and extract it in the root of the SE install. Open ddraw.ini, set width and height to 0, fullscreen=true, if you want borderless mode you also set windowed=true, and finally maintas=true.

To try and get the music, copy the MUSIC folder from the Steam/GOG release and place it in the SE root as well so that you have the MUSIC folder alongside the DATA folder. Then grab this archive https://rr2000.cwaboard.co.uk/R4/PC/carma-winmm.zip and extract the files in the root too. If the game crashes directly or you don't get music, try the older winmm.dll also included in that archive. If it still doesn't work... :oops: music playback has been hit or miss these last years...
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Re: Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Conut »

Duuuude! :scool:

The fixes for the SE worked like a friggin' charm. It now works as if it where C1(Music, fullscreen, and such(may mix in some SP music to switch up the music a bit)), only it is the "Special Edition" with Abba Cab as the default vehicle.

I'm quite happy with it. The absolute main reason I posted here was to get SE working as I wanted. The only reason C1/SP was anything considered is cause if nothing else I feel like oldskool Carmageddon of some sort while driving Abba. So one of those could have worked, though now there is no need!

I will still try a bit to get C1/SP working with Abba just to let you know if I can with the advice you've given.

I'll post again soon enough as to if I've had any leeway.
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Re: Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Conut »

Well I got at least one more question.

I want to adjust sound volumes in SE, but cannot, it tells me to "USE WINGS SOUND CONTROL PANEL."
Not something I am able to find in the files. I'd like to lower the music a bit, I like having it but it kinda drowns out too much of the game volume. I say Kinda because i can still hear engines and. . . screams.. but it's still loud enough to be a bit overbearing.

Any ideas on how I could at least adjust music volume, or perhaps increase just FX volume in the SE?
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Re: Special Edition/Abba Cab steam compatibility problems

Post by Toshiba-3 »

Conut wrote: Tue Mar 02, 2021 5:59 am"USE WINGS SOUND CONTROL PANEL."
Ha! You had me very surprised there for a moment! I misread that for WinG (the predecessor to DirectX) and couldn't believe Carma95 devs would have used that at first instead of DirectDraw and had remnants of that left in. But no, it reads WIN95 :slol:

As far as I know, there is no way to lower the volume of the music with Carma95 :smad: I agree it is too loud but I play without sound anyway. Changing music volume in OPTIONS.TXT or CDA max volume in SOUNDS.TXT doesn't change a thing. I imagine this is handled by winmm.dll. Would be nice to have a custom winmm wrapper where we can adjust the music volume. Your only option seems to be manually lowering the volume of the .ogg tracks directly. A bit annoying I guess, but effective.
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