MrJimSmith

Has anyone managed to get JA2 running on Win XP? I was optimistic at first when it loaded and seemed to run. Then it started to take a lot of time (5 min+) between screens to load. When I tried loading the latest JA2 patch (1.06), it wouldn't even show the startup graphics without throwing an error message that a certain API entry point in one of the Windoze DLL's was missing. I can still play on my older Win95 machine that I keep for just this sort of thing, but it would really be nice to play on the new machine. If anyone has managed to get it running I'd sure like to hear about it. Jim Smith

I have figured out part of the problem, so I'll post it here for those that are interested. It turns out the the missing API entry point in mss32.dll is a known problem for early versions of the JA2 1.06 patch. The first version of ja2patch_106.zip contained cab files dated 12/23/99. A second version was released that had updated cab files dated 1/4/2000, which contained a corrected version of the Miles Sound System DLL. Guess which one I was using. I can now start the game with the 1.06 patch installed, but I still get the problem of the game locking up for 5+ minutes at a time between screens or during saves. I will play with the Compatability Tool some more to see if I can find a fix for that. Once I figure it out I'll pass that along too. Jim Smith

I had tried the ACT before and didn't have any luck. I tried again last night using the compatability wizard and still got the error no matter what compatibility mode I tried. The error I get is: Could not locate API entry _AIL-set_3D_sample_float_distances@20 in mss32.dll Does anyone know what this DLL is and what it is used for? It resides in the same directory as the JA2.EXE file. I did a search on my system and found newer versions in my Civ III directory. I renamed the old one and copied the Civ II version into the JA2 directory but no luck. Anyone else ever seen this? Jim Smith

Depends on the category. IMHO: Adventure - Zork, Grim Fandango 1st Person - Halflife, Deus Ex, Jedi Knight 2 3rd Person - Myth 1/2, Diablo 1/2 Strategy - XCOM/Civ 1,2,3/Alpha Centauri/MOO2/JA2 Arcade - Bejeweled RPG - Balders Gate Simulation - The Sims, Janes 688i If I had to pick just one it would probably be XCOM. It had the best combination of strategy and tactics of any game I have ever played. Even though it is over 10 years old and the graphics are cheesy, I still play it. Jim Smith