Discworld

Errata to the description below: in point 7, I wrote about "refresh" in DosBox -
the command for re-reading file system contents in DosBox is "RESCAN".

The game is somewhat tricky to set up, so some notes that might be helpful, if you struggle configuring this game (CD version, floppy version is crippled, without speech etc. not worth the time).

First note that using DosBox, you can mount directly the iso image with:
imgmount d discworld.iso -t cdrom (if you want the cd to be mounted as D:\).
So you do not have to mount in on your OS (Windows/Linux/whatever).

What worked for me:
1. Make a directory for C: drive for the game (somewhere in your host system).
2. Start dosbox (to have C:\ in the created directory), eg. "dosbox /home/username/dosbox/discworld" on Linux or "dosbox D:\dosboxgames\discworld" on Windows.
3. Put there (install if necessary) Gravis Ultrasound software, you should have C:\ULTRASND direcrtory (required for Gravis Ultrasound music). If you make the copy outside of DosBox, remember to do "rescan" to refresh contents within DosBox (check eg. doing 'dir'. if the directory and files are there).

If you do not have it, you can get the software eg. on the page: https://www.dosdays.co.uk/topics/Manufacturers/gravis.php
(the exact link: https://www.dosdays.co.uk/media/drivers/sound/Gravis%20UltraSound%20(GF1)%20DOS%20Win31%20Drivers%204.11/GUS_411.zip )
To install it, extract everything and put it somewhere on DosBox's(!) C:\ (eg. C:\install\gravis), and do:
CD C:\INSTALL\GRAVIS"
INSTALL.EXE
Select "Install Gravis Software".
If the installer complains about port conflicts, disable other cards (ie. Sound Blaster) in your DosBox configuration.
Also, unless you disable SB permanently in DosBox, select configuration that is different than for Sound Blaster. eg. if Sound Blaster have IO PORT=220, IRQ=7, DMA=1, then use IO PORT 240 and IRQ 5 DMA=3 for UltraSound (typical PC/DOS issues...).

The example GUS setup in DosBox conf.:
[gus]
gus=true
gusrate=44100
gusbase=240
gusirq=5
gusdma=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND

Now, within DosBox do:
4. imgmount d discworld.iso -t cdrom (assuming discwold.iso is your iso file with the game and D:\ is the disk to use for emulated CDROM)
5. cd d:\
6. DISC.BAT

Now you should have DISCWLD.CD directory in your C:\ drive, but incomplete... So:

7. Copy the contents of the "drivers" directory from CDROM to the directory with the game (C:\DISCWLD.CD), so that you have all files from "drivers" there (eg. C:\DISCWLD.CD/SETSOUND.EXE). You can do this outside of dosbox (if you mount ISO file in your OS, windows/linux/whatever, just remember to do "refresh" withing DOSBOX, if it is running) or within dosbox: COPY D:\drivers\*.* C:\DISKWLD.CD

8. Configure the game, run: CONFIG.BAT (doing "CD C:\DISKWLD.CD", if not there yet).

I tested several configurations: Sound Blaster 16 works for music and sound (but the music is FM synth, not very good). General MIDI/Roland MT-32 music did not work for me (seems to configure properly but no music played for some reason(?). The best config. seems to be:
- Gravis Ultrasound for music
- Gravis Ultrasound or Sound Blaster 16 for digital sound

The music played on Ultrasound is much better than FM synthesis on SB16, so even though it is harder to set up, it is worth doing.

I wonder if it works on windows 11

There's a YouTube video called "DOS Gaming HowTo - Discworld (CDROM Version) (1995)" that goes through setting this up step-by-step, I found it really helpful.

I tried the method Yon mentioned, it only worked when i dumped all the files in the .zip into the DISCWLD folder as it would throw up an error saying a sound file was missing otherwise.

Thanks for the help though, the other method looks like a hassle if you have to redo steps every time you want to play.

I think I ran into an anti-piracy measure, I followed the guides, I absolutely cannot get the barman to serve me, he'll say "you need money to buy a drink here", I don't see this happening in the playthroughs.

Another simple way would be to use scummvm to play. Copy the folder "DISCWLD" from the CD to your computer and add it to scummvm.

Sorry, I should have read the older comments first. Ignore my comment about nocd patch not working.

It works fine with the iso image mounted, but nocd patch seems to be broken. FYI.

I couldn't get it to run at all. Instead, I found a Windows 98 VM image and it runs just lovely in there!

Ok, got past the first issue, now on trying to complete step 2 it says Discworld cannot find english.txt?

I can't get past step 2, dosbox says Discworld cannot locate the Discworld CD???

Hmm, I'm stuck on install - very new to all this so I could have missed something fundamental.

Following Chortle's instructions I get as far as the disc.bat command, the blue install Discworld Install pops up all good - It actually refers to Sound Driver install straight away (is that right??)

anyway- C is prefilled, I hit enter and I get a red box with the message simply :

' rm.dmv hit enter to continue'

and I land back in the black dosbox

where the additional commands listed after my F:\disc.bat are
f:\echo off
Illegal command: dwu
Illegal command: gdrivers
Illegal command: setsound
Illegal command: dwbc:
c:\DISCWLD.CD

c is mounted as c:\progra~1\games\dw1
and f as simply d:\

If I close dosbox and navigate with explorer to c:\progra~1\games\dw1 I do not see the discwld.cd folder even if showing hidden items. I can see it in dos box though it shows up as a file name with a space Diswld CD and dosbox says I'm unable to change to it.

any tips much appreciated (about this or re my post on Discworld Noir)
Thanks,
Newbie/Tourist/Idiot

CHORTLE's method works great except for one small difference using dosbox-jz on linux. On step 5, instead of mounting the directory, mount that actual .iso file using the IMGMOUNT such as:
imgmount E ~/mounted/discworld/Discworld.iso -T ISO
I still had to extract the files from the iso and run the disc.bat file to start the game tho.
https://www.dosbox.com/wiki/MOUNT#Linux

To open game menu, press F1

I do not know how to close the game, what should i do?

Right for those who are struggling here is how I got this working with sound. Note that Text in " " should be typed into dosbox without quotes. Text in [ ] are options to select.

PART1 :: BEFORE YOU OPEN DOSBOX
1. Download ISO Version (Director's Cut) and extract the ISO
2. Mount the game ISO (google if unsure how)
3. Create a folder in which you intend to install discworld

STEP2 :: OPEN DOSBOX
4. "mount c /path/to/your/install/folder"
5. "mount f /path/to/the/mounted/iso/image/folder -t cdrom"
6. "f:"
7. "DISC.BAT"
8. Drive to install 'C' (press return)
9. Once installed the game starts.

STEP3 :: COPY SOUND FILES
10. Quit dosbox if you haven't. In your install folder should now be a folder called DISCWORLD.CD
11. Copy all files out from the ISO image /drivers folder to DISCWOLRD.CD folder (make sure you copy them out of the directory as SETSOUND.exe needs to be in the same folder as CONFIG.BAT)

STEP4 :: CONFIGURE SOUND
12. Open dosbox again and repeat steps 4. and 5.
13. "cd c:\DISCWORLD.CD"
14. "CONFIG.BAT"
15. [Select and configure MIDI music driver] (return)
16. [Creative Labs Sound Blaster(TM) 16] (return)
17. [Attempt to configure sound driver automatically] (return)
18. [OK] (return)
19. [Select and configure digital audio driver] (return)
20. [Creative Labs Sound Blaster 16 or AWE32] (return)
21. [Attempt to configure sound driver automatically] (return)
22. [OK] (return)
23. [DONE] (return)
24. This will quit the application
25. "DWB.EXE" will run the game with sound

IMPORTANT NOTES:
Each time you run the game you will need to repeat steps 2. 4. and 5. unless you configure dosbox to do so automatically in your dosbox .conf file. Otherwise it wont find the game CD and throw a nocd error.

For those who have never used dosbox Once you have followed 2. 4. and 5. "cd c:\DISCWORLD.CD" and then "DWB.EXE" will run the game. If this works for you; you are welcome :).

The nocdfix above is for the floppy version only and will not work with the directors cut.

I'm on Linux and I could get everything to work but sound.

No clue, from dosbox.conf edits to manually running drivers... I've spent 3 hours trying to figure it out. I hope the solution isn't in Windows.

I'm really sad because I love the game. The music would be the 1st reason for me to play it...

The trick with installing this game is that it can only be installed on (what the game thinks) is the C drive.

I downloaded the ISO version and mounted it on drive L.
Then I copied the Discworld folder to my Games folder on the D drive.

After starting up DosBox I used the following command to make the game think the mounted ISO was my CD ROM drive:
MOUNT L L:\ -t cdrom

After that I mounted my game folder on the D drive, which I gave the alias C
MOUNT C D:\Games\Discworld

Now you can run the game with the DWU.exe in the DosBox command line.
To set up sound, as Elph-kun mentioned, you should copy the Drivers folder to the new discwld.cd game folder that DosBox created. You can do this in windows.

After that is done, run the Setsound.exe command in discwld.cd from DosBox and you should be able to set up SoundBlaster sound for everything.