How to run Die Siedler II (The Settlers) ROM from Archive.org in DosBox EX Ultimate?

[porg]

The Archive.org Software Library for MS-DOS Games offers Die Siedler II.

1. You can play it right in the web browser. Worked just fine on a contemporary Desktop. This runs Dosbox as a WebAssembly app.
2. Also offers a ZIP archive download. Contains no ISO image of the CD. But seems to be the entirety of executables and game data.

How can I get this running on the Pandora with DosBox EX Ultimate?

• Possible in the free version? Or requires the paid version?
• How must the screen resolution be set? Any file tweaking necessary?
• Shall I run in "normal" or "experimental mode"?
• Touch screen or mouse control (via-nubs)? What's supported? Any tweaks necessary?

Spoiler: What I tried so far without success…

1. I have moved the decompressed ZIP directory to [sdcard]/pandora/appdata/dosbox-ex-ura/roms/
2. I defined the EXE for this game in the Dosbox Configuration.
3. When the game launches, Siedler moans that I should put in the CD, full output:
   

   Z:\>mount c /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/Siedler2Drive
   C is mounted as local directory /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/Siedler2/
   
   Z:\>mount e /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/tools
   Drive E is mounted as local directory /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/tools/
   
   Z:\>c:
   
   C:\>01.bat
   
   C:\>START.BAT
   
   DOS/4GW Protected Mode Run-time  Version 1.97
   Copyright (c) Rational Systems, Inc. 1990-1994
   Bitte legen Sie die Siedler II-CD in Ihr CD-Laufwerk    # CD is missing.
   
   C:\>_

4. Workaround: Duplicate the entire directory into a subdirectory "virtual". So I have the entire game directory once on HDD and once on virtual CD. A complete dupe, as I did not know what needs to be on HDD and what on CD, but "having more than enough" is not an issue these days, as storage is plentiful.
5. When I launch, I get the same as above, but strangely its seems the emulator attempts to mount the CD twice which fails:
   

   Z:\>mount c /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/Siedler2
   Drive C is mounted as local directory /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/Siedler2/
   
   Z:\>mount e /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/tools
   Drive E is mounted as local directory /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/tools/
   
   Z:\>mount d /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/Siedler2/virtual -t cdrom
   MSCDEX: Mounted subdirectory: limited support.    # Paid version only I assume.
   Drive d is mounted as local directory /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/Siedler2/virtual/
   
   Z:\>mount d /mnt/utmp/dosbox-ex-ura-roms/Siedler2/virtual -t cdrom
   MSCDEX: Failure: Drive-letters of multiple CDRom-driver have to be continuous.   # Why this second mounting?
   
   Z:\>c:
   
   C:\>01.bat
   
   C:\>START.BAT
   
   DOS/4GW Protected Mode Run-time  Version 1.97
   Copyright (c) Rational Systems, Inc. 1990-1994
   Bitte legen Sie die Siedler II-CD in Ihr CD-Laufwerk  # Again moaning about missing CD.
   
   C:\>_

 

[porg]

Getting closer to the solution I think. I simply recorded the web app. Then looked at the recording, particular the command line parameters!

Dosbox starts with a special configuration line: Z:\>SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H5 T6

And then launches not START.BAT but rather S2.EXE (which I guess is a specially prepped "no-cd variant").

Will try this on the Pandora later.

 

[levi]

I can't grep windowz set command yet, I'm afraid. I guess the zip you download contains an s2.exe file and maybe not a start.bat.

 

[Pickle]

I dont use the Dosbox EX, but the dosbox that Pitiseb released. So im going off using dosbox direct and not with any special frontends.
If you are getting an cdrom iso from archive org then you need to mount it.
imgmount D <path to iso> -t iso
mount C <your dosroot path>

search the D: for install or setup this will then put the files on the dosbox D:
if that works out then you cd C:\<game folder>
run a dir on the location and look for the s2.exe or s2.bat

 

[porg]

Had gotten a bit further. S2.exe was indeed the correct executable but this one failed too.

Eventually gave up on getting this running on the Pandora. Instead installed https://www.siedler25.org on a laptop. Nice trackpad two finger gesture support for smoothly zooming in/out.

No campaign. But the look & feel is there. Love to play this here & then. My kids love watching all the scenery of city building. (No warfare yet, I'm personally also not interested in it). Just love to build and see my little virtual pixel citizens walking around