It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Hi all,
I'm currently playing through Overseer, and finally hit Alcatraz. Unfortunately, I keep crashing right after I pick up the barbed wire whenever I try to move... I'm playing it on a Vista machine. Has anyone solved this problem?
Thanks!
No posts in this topic were marked as the solution yet. If you can help, add your reply
avatar
JamesBond007: I never had that much trouble in Alcatraz (maybe few crashes, but they were rare. Once the game crashed in Cell Block C). Speaking of modes - the CD version worked well for me only in Software mode. The DVD version works only in Hardware mode. Strange.
avatar
sbenrap: Yes, Software mode was much more stable in Overseer than Hardware mode (which is why you experienced less crashes), I'm not sure why the GOG DVD executable botched software mode...
A good reason why I always think twice about buying games here, because the original copies are not provided, but instead a DOSBOX modified copy.

Don't get me wrong, the convenience that they have already gone through and made the game work properly on newer operating systems is wonderful, but having an ISO of the original disk would also be of great benefit.

In fact, the only reason I decided to buy from GOG.com at all was because it has no DRM's, and the other other place to pre-order Tesla Effect was Steam, and definitely didn't want to have to be running that just to play a simple game.
avatar
sbenrap: Yes, Software mode was much more stable in Overseer than Hardware mode (which is why you experienced less crashes), I'm not sure why the GOG DVD executable botched software mode...
avatar
Doof1234: A good reason why I always think twice about buying games here, because the original copies are not provided, but instead a DOSBOX modified copy.

Don't get me wrong, the convenience that they have already gone through and made the game work properly on newer operating systems is wonderful, but having an ISO of the original disk would also be of great benefit.

In fact, the only reason I decided to buy from GOG.com at all was because it has no DRM's, and the other other place to pre-order Tesla Effect was Steam, and definitely didn't want to have to be running that just to play a simple game.
Overseer is a native Windows app, no DosBox involved here (personally, I love DosBox games, less issues :) )

As for Tesla Effect - The Steam version is DRM free as well (after installation you can copy the folder files and run from anywhere you wish).
avatar
Doof1234: A good reason why I always think twice about buying games here, because the original copies are not provided, but instead a DOSBOX modified copy.

Don't get me wrong, the convenience that they have already gone through and made the game work properly on newer operating systems is wonderful, but having an ISO of the original disk would also be of great benefit.

In fact, the only reason I decided to buy from GOG.com at all was because it has no DRM's, and the other other place to pre-order Tesla Effect was Steam, and definitely didn't want to have to be running that just to play a simple game.
avatar
sbenrap: Overseer is a native Windows app, no DosBox involved here (personally, I love DosBox games, less issues :) )

As for Tesla Effect - The Steam version is DRM free as well (after installation you can copy the folder files and run from anywhere you wish).
That's impossible.

How do they get it to work on newer windows if they aren't using some kind of third-party open-source software? Unless they have access to the source-code, and are able to simply make it work on newer windows systems.

I mean, I don't have the DVD version with me, but a quick Google-search will verify that the DVD version does not run on even Windows 7 properly without some long list of things you have to do first, much of which is now difficult to find.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but they definitely do something to make these games work very smoothly. I've played a couple here and there, and they do all the work for you getting these games to work on newer systems because when you have the game yourself, it doesn't just work.

And that's really my point. Regardless of what they do, sometimes one wants to do it themselves with an ISO of the original game because of something they perhaps missed, future issues in which GOG no longer supports making the game work, and you might find instructions on how to get the original copy to work, but not the GOG modified copy, and there are differences surfacing even now between the GOG version and the original versions. Having a copy of the original is always the best thing to have if you want to have at least some guarantee that you might be able to get these games working another decade from now.

And trust me when I tell you as a 30 something year old, good games never get old. They get old-looking, but THEY never get old.
Post edited May 28, 2014 by Doof1234
To anyone having this issue, I'm using the GOG version, and

When I played through this part in the last couple or so days, it's just Cell Block A that's having this problem. The rest of Alcatraz doesn't have this crashing issue.

SEMI-SPOILER:
***Cell Block A doesn't have very much at all for you to do once you get out of the cell you wake up in. A quick glance of all the cells using strafe, keeping your eyes open so that when it crashes, you know right where to start strafing again or right where to go to get something you saw is probably sufficient to get everything and do everything. I understand the importance of taking your time to look around thoroughly in these games, but Cell Block A, from what I could see did not require a thorough search, just a quick one.***

Also, it seemed that when I rotated my view to the right, that was when it crashed most often and predictably. It might crash less frequently if you always rotate left in that area. I'm not making any guarantees, that's just what it seemed to me when I played through that area in the last couple days.