Index ⇒ Games Support ⇒ Possible alternate FIX for Aliens versus Predator 1999/Gold

[GonnaHaveMeSumFun]

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http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=528034575

For a long time I thought the only 2 possible alternatives are to either you Re-Buy the game via the Steam or GOG.com which is a AvP Classic 2000 OR that you would have to download and use a community fan-made patch fix known as AvPx.exe released by sirlemonhead here: http://homepage.eircom.net/~duncandsl/avp/ (which hasn't been updated since last year btw) all in order to get Aliens versus Predator 1999 original release or the subsequently released AvP Gold Edition/Millennium Expansion Pack in 2000 to properly run and and be able to play the game again.

Technically, Rebellion ripped from sirlemonhead's work, modified and re-released it as Classic 2000 and did not even bother to pay the respect to acknowledge and credit him for his work. But now there seems to have been a new modification tweak out there that allows us to play AvP Gold WITHOUT using sirlemonhead's patch or Re-Buying the Classic 2000 re-release, and the whole point on why should we try this new method instead? It is because that both of those "updated" versions (either AvPx.exe or AvP Classic 2000 version) had always lacked the support for LAN Local Multiplayer Support. So if somebody had figured out how to get the original AvP.exe files to run without any problems with new tweaks on modern operating systems then I find that to a significant breakthrough.

I'm going to paste the information from that link here, now I haven't had time to really test this, been real busy lately with work and everything so if anyone can confirm what all this claims is true, then all of those who own and is fans of the original releases of Aliens vs. Predator 1999/Gold Edition have scored the Jackpot!:

How To Get AVP Gold Edition To Work Flawlessly On Modern Operating Systems
By Olde

This guide will help you play the original Gold edition on a modern operating system without graphical issues and without the use of the AvPx mod.

The Problem

If you've tried to play Aliens versus Predator Gold Edition in the last ten years or more, you've probably run into a very frustrating problem. The game will load and the menu will be fine, but the levels and the gameplay will have extremely messed up graphical issues. As I understand it, the problem is that newer versions of DirectX can't figure out what to make of the engine's graphics. You will end up getting huge clouds of black or, worse, the screen copying itself over and over as you look around.

Up until now, there were a couple of ways to reduce the problem. The first way is to simply stay in the marine's image intensifier mode or, as a predator, stay permanently cloaked and/or stay in green vision mode. For some reason, those vision mode changes would not cause the graphical issue. Unfortunately, there is no way to play as the alien without graphical issues if you used this method. The other way was to download sirlemonhead's AvPx mod[homepage.eircom.net]. This is a standalone .exe which resolves the issue for single-player and skirmish mode. Sadly, there is no multiplayer mode, and this mod also does not solve the graphical issues for the Cancer Black mod or for the MelPyth mod.

Fortunately, my friend, a phenomenal programmer named UberFoX, discovered a fix that allows you to play the original Aliens versus Predator Gold Edition (NOT Classic 2000 or AvPx) without graphical errors. This fix allows you to do everything you could do with normal Gold Edition, that is, namely, run multiplayer as well as the Cancer Black and MelPyth mods without graphical interference.

The Solution

1. You will obviously need Aliens versus Predator Gold Edition on disc. If you don't have it, get it. Install the game (I assume you're not brain-dead and can figure out how to install it yourself).
Near the end of the installation process, it will ask you if you want to install DirectX 6; DON'T install it. At the end of installation, it will ask you if you want to read the readme and run the game; don't do either.

2. The setup.exe will automatically install the game to C:\Program Files(86)\Fox\Aliens versus Predator. Open up this file location (or wherever you installed the game) and keep it open.

3. Now, go to this link and download dgVoodoo v2.45: http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2.html
dgvoodoo is a program that simulates Voodoo graphics cards. It is freeware.

4. Once you've downloaded dgVoodoo v.2.45, open it up in winrar. Return to your Fox\Aliens versus Predator folder and create a folder called dgvoodoo. Copy the contents of dgVoodoo2_45.zip and paste them into your newly created dgvoodoo folder. Once pasted, find the folder called MS. Inside should be two .dll files, one called D3DImm.dll and the other called DDraw.dll. Copy both of these files and paste them into the regular Aliens versus Predator folder.

5. Now go back to your dgvoodoo folder. Launch dgVoodooSetup.exe. At the top of the menu, you will see a directory. Add this directory to it: YourDrive:\Program Files(x86)\Fox\Aliens versus Predator. Then click Add. Look at these three screenshots and adjust your program so that it matches these.







7. Once you've set the parameters to match these screenshots, you can now run avp.exe. You should not get any graphical problems.

Note that this game still has an audio bug: if you interrupt the startup movie with the Fox Interactive and Rebellion logos, as well as any other of the game's intro/outro videos, the audio will loop endlessly. To prevent this from happening, you can do one of three things:
Spam the Enter button at the opening logos so you skip them before they launch. Then at the menu, go Audio/Video Options and set Intro Videos to Off (this is my personally preferred method).
Never interrupt the opening logos or intro/outro videos.
You can download UberFoX's AVP Launcher, which skips all videos (including the opening logos). The launcher can be found here: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/600 ... uncher.zip

Troubleshooting

If your game crashes when loading a level: Try different Videocard options in the DirectX tab of dgVoodoo. Also try "Disable and passthru to real DirectX" located above the Videocard options. In the Glide tab, try the different 3dfx card options.

If you don't get different multiplayer options: You may be running avp.exe in compatibility mode. Make sure that you are NOT running in compatibility mode.

[GonnaHaveMeSumFun]

I recently had some time to test it briefly on my Windows 10 laptop and can confirmed that this new method of using the DLL files (D3DImm.dll and DDraw.dll) from dgVoodoo 2 DOES WORK on the original 1999 release of AvP and this does allow the game to run without any major problems but I do notice some problems and will upload a few screenshots here regarding them. I had no problems with the Alternate and regular vision modes, with only some minor inaccuracy for the Predator's Predator or "PredTech" vision mode.

I've only tested it on the original release which was Version Build 0.90 and as well as the first update patch that was available at the time Version Build 0.98. I will test the Gold Edition 2000 release when I have time, but I'm pretty certain it's compatible with all of them.


First Screenshot I used the Version number command from the Command Console "VERSION", yes it had to be in all CAPs back then, unlike Classic 2000, and it said

Aliens vs Predator -
Build 90
Rebellion Developments 1999/5/10



Second Screenshot, I did the same as above by bringing up the Command Console to get the Version number for verification purposes:

Aliens vs Predator -
Build 98
Rebellion Developments 1999/6/25
(American Release Patch 1)

Note: I own the US version so I had to use the US version of the patch but I'm sure the same applies and it should work on all original and respective region first patches that had been released.


3rd Screenshot shows the problem I am experiencing and had not figured out how to really tweak it so that the Predtech vision mode would be accurate to the way it should be. Now I have seen this strange vision mode before on a friend's computer when he was using the built-in 3D Graphics Card that came with his Dell Desktop Computer. It's like a weird blend of the Alien's Alternate vision "Navigation" mode mixed with PredTech. This graphical hardware issue would basically enable the Predator to see pretty much all enemy characters while in his Predator or PredTech vision mode. As you can you in this screenshot the Alien Queen and Face Huggers are quite visible and actually stands out when they are NOT supposed to originally. Anything not Predator or not Predator technology should be washed out in a Neon-green color, and anything that IS a Predator or Predator Technology such as the Predator's Disc would ONLY be highlighted, and highlighted in Bright White color.


Last screenshot shows the Original Multiplayer modes such as TCP/IP which is for Local LAN Multiplayer Support, and as well as Serial and as well for the old classic Mplayer.com which had been long defunct since 2001, although I heard it might be coming back if enough people donate to bringing it back from here: http://mplayer.co/. I haven't actually tested a real LAN session, but I am able to load up a map without it crashing so I am certain LAN multiplayer is back and possible with this new workaround someone had discovered before I did.

[Scaryfun]

Thanks for the info! I'll post a link to this post from the AVP Gold entry.

[GonnaHaveMeSumFun]

Thanks for the info! I'll post a link to this post from the AVP Gold entry.

I think this process works not only for AvP 1999 and Gold but for any of those games that was out in that era or that time frame and are still having major graphical problems, etc., that rendered the game completely unplayable. But with this method, for those that ever wanted to revisit and be able to play the game's multiplayer locally such as on a LAN it is once again possible.

So if there are any games like this one that mainly used a DirectX6 renderer at that time and is having issues currently on modern systems then it's a possible workaround and tweak that they can apply and see if they can get their game loaded up and running again.

2 more screenshots of the menu screen, this is for the default 1999 version of the game, Unpatched (Build 0.90), and NOT the Gold Edition re-release:



Original 1999 Unpatched edition does not have an In-game Savegames support and was only address in the first update patch Build 0.98, whereas Gold Edition included savegames support and additional features.



Noticed that when it was Unpatched, the Multiplayer menu shows TCPIP option without the forward slash.

Next, I will test Gold Edition just to be certain but I'm more than positive it should be working without any major recognizable problems, other than the inaccurate PredTech Vision mode which you can see above in one of my earlier screenshots when I was testing this.