Pvt_Bloody: Like I said, I'm trying to centralize all the steps required to enable 3D Hardware. Here we go:
1. Install the GOG version of the game:
- Besides the obvious, it also installs the compatibility fix that I keep mentioning. This is a small, but very important detail. Without it, your game will crash with 3D enabled, among other things. Read more about it
and [url=http://davidcmoisan.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/update-tie-fighter-compatibility/]here - If you want to use your old CD version of the game, manually install the compatibility fix. Use Compatibility Administrator to verify and check the attached screenshot.
2. Most of us are now aware that GOG disabled 3D Hardware in the exe file. I got confirmation via a support ticket, others figured it out somehow, gerwin79 found it by looking in a HEX editor etc. So this step is about removing the restriction:
- For the first method you can thank
Cyphox, the author of this topic,
<span class="bold">infinityBCRT</span> for the excellent project of restoring Music to the windows version and
Pete Jatz for creating the initial modified EXE file for the windows version. So follow the instructions from the 1st post. I will just mention to pay attention to what zip you are downloading. You are going for the "Windows CD version Instructions (NOT FOR GOG.com version!)". You have read correctly "NOT FOR GOG". Why? Because the "GOG.com Edition Instructions" uses the same exe with 3D disabled
- For the second method thank
gerwin79 and read his instructions. He found the HEX address that needs to be modified. It didn't work for me as the game was crashing when loading a level, but maybe I made a mistake while HEX editing the exe. Also this is a more clean and elegant fix since you keep the no-cd check enabled (so no need to create your TIE95.iso)
3. We got this far, but because of modern graphic cards and drivers, the game will crash when trying to load a mission if you have enabled 3D (NOTE: this is not the same crash mentioned at step 1, even if it occurs in similar circumstances).
- For this fix thank
vashren from XWA forums. He discovered that compatibility was broken with any ATI Catalyst version newer than 13.11. So to avoid the crash you need to force Windows to use the old DLL files that worked before. This means extracting them from AMD Catalyst Software Suite Version 13.1 (NOTE: 1 not 11) and moving in your TIE installation folder. Read one my previous posts for instruction. I tested on Windows 7, but we still need confirmation that Windows 8 does the same.
- Something similar should be done for NVIDIA cards. Maybe someone using old drivers (around 2011) can confirm?
Bonus Step :)
- Go thank
<span class="bold">Sol_HSA</span> and
<span class="bold">JeremyaFr</span>:
-
JeremyaFr provided a superb quick and easy fix for when X-Wing Alliance will be released by GOG. A single DLL file that solves all problems with modern systems.
-
Sol_HSA is working on something similar for TIE95 and X-Wing95.
Also take a look at attached screenshots. You will see 2 databases because I manually installed the compatibility fix when I was trying to find a solution.
i dont understand this. are you saying that the campatability fix is included in the initial gog install and that i should only install it manually if using the cd version?
Nah. don't think so. is this the right procedure: Install gog version -> install comp fix -> hex edit exe ->extract "old ati" dll´s to game folder -> Play with 3d?