Hey I just downloaded Arena from Bethesda, and I followed the instructions to run it with just Windows XP without using DOSbox. Is there any way to run it windowed instead of full-screen? I know there's a way to do it in DOSbox...

alt+enter

Are you sure? I'm trying that and all it does is minimize the game. I know that's how you do it with DOSbox, but I'm not using that to play the game.

i dont know if you can. remember dos games often(at all?) didnt have windowed mode....cause there wasnt a "desktop"

Shoot, but then again the only computer game I can remember in '94 was Math Blaster

i dont remember any game from then, i was only 2

More problems!

I can get past the title and intro fine, make my character just fine, and watch the first cutscene with the dead captain, but after that nothing happens; the screen just fades to black. In addition, no sound plays during any part of this process. I'm reading the stickied topic and I created that autoexec file, however the download for MOUSECTL is busted (but the mouse seems fine during chargen, so maybe I don't need it). I've followed both those instructions and those on the UESP but still no luck. Help please?

Is there any particular reason why you don't want to use Dosbox? just curious.

I've never tried running Arena on XP so I can't help you there sorry, but I will say Your best bet to getting Arena running is Dosbox since it was built to run on DOS.

EDIT

You will need to download and run VDMSound or you will have problems getting any sound out of DOS games on XP.

Because on the UESP, the section for running it under XP is about 1/10 the size of the DOSbox page?
At any rate, I'll try DOSbox right now.

EDIT: Great, DOSbox installed and configured and now it won't run the game! I'm typing arena on the command line exactly like that but it calls it an illegal command. Is the ARENA folder supposed to be in the DOSbox folder? That's the impression the UESP is giving me.

No, it doesn't have to be, My Arena folder is in C:\Dosgames with all the rest of my Dos games. This is what I have in my Dosbox config file for running Arena:

[autoexec]
# Lines in this section will be run at startup.


mount c c:\dosgames

c:

CD arena

Arena


Run Install.exe to setup the sound before running Arena.

So where you have c:\dosgames, I should put the filepath for where my Arena folder is?

EDIT: Success! I just wish I could pick up that key...

And for pushing 15 years old it runs kinda slow on my laptop. Advice?

where do i go about downloading Arena?

Off the UESP. Go to http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Arena:Arena therein.

thanks, do you know if i need a floppy or can i just put it straight on my PC?

No it's just a straight download. However, I'd grab DOSbox and read the bits on UESP about setting it up as it's a little tricky.

DOSbox? ok, never heard of if till now. i tried downloading a Daggerfall demo and its not working. you think this DOSbox has anything to do with it? DOSbox is one of files i think. im computer retarded so im really not sure if that makes sense.

Change the settings in your Dosbox cfg file to these:

core=dynamic
cycles=25000

If it still doesn't run much faster your processor might be too slow for Dosbox.

I've put together http://www.mediafire.com/?wyjlhomt4zz.
It's TES: Arena, using a CVS build of Dosbox. Works flawlessly on my computer, but might not do so on yours. To start it, just launch Dosbox.exe.