Cheats in WC3 and WC4

[Mantis312]

Hi there

This is my first post in the forums here. I like all of you are a huge fan of the Wing Commander games, namely WC3 and WC4 that I remember playing as a teenager. I have a Dell XPS laptop with Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit so did not ever really think about running them till I did some research and saw that through the use of Dos Box you can get them working. I have downloaded the two demos and can kind of get them to run but with the full versions of the games and some tweaking it seems it can be done, I am currently shopping in EBay to obtain some copies.

My question is can PC Cheats be activated when running both WC3 and WC4 though DosBox? I used to love playing these games with god mode on as such so I could just play though the game and enjoy the movies hehe (yeah I know I am not a true gamer!). If anyone could let me know that would be most appreciated.

Many thanks,
Andrew

 

[AD]

My question is can PC Cheats be activated when running both WC3 and WC4 though DosBox? I used to love playing these games with god mode on as such so I could just play though the game and enjoy the movies hehe (yeah I know I am not a true gamer!). If anyone could let me know that would be most appreciated.

Welcome aboard!

Yes, the command line cheats should work just fine in Dosbox. If you need help getting the games running check out our tech support section or post a message in our tech support forum here at the CZ. Once Dosbox is set up you basically have a DOS interface so you would just run the cheats exactly the way you did back in the day. Have fun!

 

[Mantis312]

Thanks heaps! I can only seem to find Windows 95 version of the WC4 game. Not a Dos one? Maybe I am out of touch with the versions that were released but I assume the Windows 95 version can be run through DosBox as well? It is the "Big Box" version. Thanks for your help!!

 

[AD]

Thanks heaps! I can only seem to find Windows 95 version of the WC4 game. Not a Dos one? Maybe I am out of touch with the versions that were released but I assume the Windows 95 version can be run through DosBox as well? It is the "Big Box" version. Thanks for your help!!

Wing Commander 4 is one of the ones that works well in Windows. (No you cannot use the Win versions in DOSBox). Ultimately I would look for the DVD version of WC4 which has improved video quality though I beleive you can upgrade to that version from any of the others anyway (except the Mac/playstion versions that is)

 

[Mantis312]

Thanks heaps. Yeah I have been looking for the DVD version but seems like quite a hard beast to find! If I get the Windows 95 version then would running it in Windows 95 compatibility mode in my Windows 7 be the option to get it running? Sorry for all the questions, if there is a link to instructions can just direct me to that. I am guessing the WC4 Demo was the dos version as I ran that in DosBox.

 

[ChrisReid]

It's true that "you can't use the Win 95 version in DOSBox" (unless you're somehow running Windows in DOSBox), but the retail version of WC4 that includes the Win95 upgrade also runs in DOS(Box). If you buy the boxed Win95 WC4, you can run it either way. The Win95 version has some minor improvements. The double-sided high quality DVD version just runs in Windows.

 

[Mantis312]

Thanks for your help. I have just got my wing commander 4 in the post, it is the version as per the box above which is windows 95 and ms dos native. Would anyone know whether it is better to install the dos version and run through dos box or install the windows 95 version and just run it straight? I have a XPS Dell with Windows 7. I am going to start reading through the forums to get some tips. Can't wait to get back into the games again!!!! WC3 should also be with me in a day or 2

 

[Mantis312]

Sorry for the many questions but is there also a guide to installing/playing these games in Windows 7 or do I just need to read through all the old threads etc?

Many thanks

 

[Bob McDob]

I remember as a kid being in shambles about using cheat codes in Mechwarrior 2... because Origin's Official Guide to Wing Commander IV told me that they would DESTROY MY COMPUTER.

 

[ChrisReid]

Sorry for the many questions but is there also a guide to installing/playing these games in Windows 7 or do I just need to read through all the old threads etc?

The Windows XP instructions at https://www.wcnews.com/techsupport.shtml are pretty close. The only real difference might be some slightly different settings in the compatibility mode tab.

DOSBox is generally recommended over Windows, but there are a couple enhancements in the Windows version here.

[2.0] Wing Commander IV for Windows 95

[2.1] Differences from the DOS Version

+ Utilizes Microsoft DirectX library!

+ Play the game full-screen or in a window!

+ Throttle and rudder pedal support!

+ With the correct setup, the frame rate will be faster on high-end
machines compared to the DOS version!

+ Impressive scaling technology used to "simulate" SVGA with low-res
graphics!

+ 16-bit sound in spaceflight!

+ Command-line parameters for added customization

[2.2] Command-line Parameters

-i Run install program (from Wing IV DOS)

-d Force hardware double buffering off -- essentially disables the
speed gain of DirectDraw, and draws the screen similar to the
DOS version. This is on by default.

-h Use the MUSICx.TRE from the CD -- This file was copied
to the hard drive to increase frame rate of the DOS version.
Explosions, comms, and music all spooling from the CD cause the
frame rate to decrease dramatically.

-l# With native CDs, the game will use the native language. If the
switch is used, the subtitles will appear in the desired
language.

0 English
1 German
2 French

For example, -l2 will select French subtitles.

-no_interlace Do not draw the "black lines" between each line of the
movies.

-no_sound Disable DirectSound

-true_color Use 24-bit color for the movies

-dead_zone=# Increase or decrease the dead zone for greater
joystick precision. By default, the dead zone is
1. Using a value of 0 will turn the dead zone
off, and using a value of 3 will make the game
respond similar to the DOS version.

For example, -dead_zone=0 will turn off the dead zone.

To use command line parameters, you will need to change your shortcut
on the desktop before running the game.

1 Right-click on the Wing Commander IV icon
2 Click Properties
3 Click Shortcut
4 Depending on where you installed the game, the Target line
should read something similar to "c:\wc4\wc4w.exe"
5 Add parameters (with a space between them) on the Target line
after "c:\wc4\wc4w.exe".

For example, "c:\wc4\wc4w.exe -dead_zone=0 -no_interlace"

 

[DeltaV]

Can someone please help me on how to apply the cheats "god mode"(-chicken) in WC IV (DVD version).

 

[Colonel Macks]

Can someone please help me on how to apply the cheats "god mode"(-chicken) in WC IV (DVD version).

You can use the command line cheat. Open your Command Prompt window, change the directory to where your game's executable file is, and type "wc4dvd -chicken" (or if your executable has a different name, use that).

 

[AD]

Can someone please help me on how to apply the cheats "god mode"(-chicken) in WC IV (DVD version).

You have to create a shortcut to the game exe, and then rightclick on it and then properties. Then you add a space and a a dash and then the word Chicken at the end of the game "path"

 

[Colonel Macks]

You have to create a shortcut to the game exe, and then rightclick on it and then properties. Then you add a space and a a dash and then the word Chicken at the end of the game "path"

Doesn't work that way, you'll get a "name in target box not valid" error.

 

[AD]

Doesn't work that way, you'll get a "name in target box not valid" error.

hmm let me look... Sorry it isn't the "path" box. Windows calls it "target." It does work, and should look something like this... (remember this is on the shortcut, not on the EXE)

G:\WC4DVD\WC4DVD.EXE -chicken