Running a Classic CD game on OS X

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Level 1

9 points

Running a Classic CD game on OS X

I've had this game Lords of the Realm II for quite some time now and since then, I've gotten rid of my blueberry iMac running 9 and gotten an iMac g5. I installed it and started playing it and it was great! Sometimes the mouse was slow or I'd have to do stupid things like click on a field twice and go into the town again so I could get the idle peasants from hiding, or whatever. That's not the problem. I went to play it this morning and it started up Classic mode like normal, but this time the screen went blank except for the dock and the menu bar. The resolution and the color went down for gameplay, but I was still in Finder, not the game and when I clicked on the Lords II icon, nothing happened! I could hear the game starting behind the black screen and when I clicked in random spots, I was controlling the game even though I couldn't see anything. I could open other applications like firefox but I couldn't quit Lords II or eject the cd, or even shut down, so I had to pull the plug. I don't know if anyone has had a similar problem, or maybe the cd is just so scratched that everything is starting to fall apart, but it's just really frustrating when this game was playing the day before and now wont do anything. Thanks for any help, sorry this was so long!

iMac G5 Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jun 29, 2006 9:26 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 29, 2006 3:05 PM in response to bsn_moon

Hi BSN. Welcome to the Forum.

I hope someone with specific knowledge of Lords… comes along shortly and until then, if one and only one application sudenly starts playing up and there are no other symptoms outside that app, you should first suspect its Preferences…

For OS 9 including Classic apps, look for Prefs files first inside System Folder>Preferences, then in the main folder for that application.

If you can identify a Prefs file for Lords first Stop Classic, then move the file to the Desktop, then relaunch the game…

If nothing changes I hope someone with specific knowledge comes along shortly.

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Answer 2

Ron JACKLE

Level 7

33,451 points

Jun 29, 2006 6:10 PM in response to bsn_moon

bsn_moon...

"...so I had to pull the plug"

I will let you in on a little bit of information. Power losses of any kind is one of the most basic exclusions to a products warranty. So keep that up and you may find the warranty plug got pulled the moment you pulled your plug.

Now in the future I recommend force quiting (Command - Option - Escape) or via other approved methods. Activity Monitor is the handiest for me in Mac OS 10 but your machine (G5) may have different procedures I am not aware of.

++

Now as far as the issue in hand, I do agree some Preference is the normal cause of a great portion of lockups as Robbie has stated. However look for related situational Preferences. Like, for example, you indicated a mouse issue, so ditch that Preference. Video issue, ditch, and so on.

Rather than attempting a "futile" panic release of the Game CD, just let Mac OS give it up when it is ready, such as after a restart of the Classic or your computer.

...Ron

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Answer 3

Jun 29, 2006 6:17 PM in response to bsn_moon

When games are operated in OS 9 (& lower), the game software controls your hardware, however, when the same game is operated in Classic (while booted in OS X), the software cannot control the hardware.

On many games, the software sets the colors on the monitor to 256. Set you monitor colors to 256 & try playoing the game.

Cheers, Tom

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Answer 4

Jun 30, 2006 12:01 AM in response to bsn_moon

BSN,

Texas beat me to it. As you say, the game seems to be playing fine, you just can't see it. Like suggested, check you're back at 256 colours or a suitable resolution, or a single monitor. 256 colours makes the dock look a bit funny but you can like with that while playing. Maybe the game works in 1000's of colours, try it if 256 works for you.

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