Granted, it's on weird hardware (Vortex86DX on a custom machine I soldered myself), but it's 100% x86 compatible and has run all sorts of pre 3dfx game like a champ in both DOS and Windows 98SE. It doesn't have a 'video card', so I'm merely trying to run it in Software render mode.

Game launches fine
Intro video plays fine
Load level 1 into HD fine
Load Daventry screen fine
then a black screen, that I can kill in the task manager, but I get nothing else from the game

I tried running that newish installer on win98se on physical hardware with win98se. Although it does install the game, the launcher needs .net framework 4.0, which can't be installed on win98se. Of course, I found that out AFTER installing .net framework 2.0, which needed windows installer 2.0 and internet explorer 5.0.1..

I tried running nicode's shim utility before launching the game, same issue.

I made sure I installed the game and ran the patch before launching the game.

I'm still stuck in win98se and get a black screen after the load daventry screen.

Edit - if I load a saved game, it works! Could someone create a saved game RIGHT at the beginning?

Edit2 - did I get lucky? It refuses to run anymore even from loaded games - only thing I did between the working and non-working attempt is edit console.cs to put the frames limiter from 15 to 60

edit3-
Under Win98se:
fresh install from CD
apply 1.0.3 patch right away
kq8fix, disable 3dfx
edit console.cs to 60 fps
black screen at new game after 2 loading screens or after load game

Under Win10
install from modern installer
add the .avi files
run in win98 compatibility mode
kq8fix, use all the checkboxes
edit console.cs to 60 fps
works very smoothly

at least I have a modern fallback