VP8 Recreation Video Games Help Does anyone know how to get the old "Extreme Pinball" files to work in VP8 on Win10?? It seems they aren't working for me,anymore...

[1st2MprovFIRE!]

I'm having trouble with figuring-out why the old "Extreme Pinball" & a few other Videogame-pinball-turned-vpt form of VP8 files are no longer working(I used to have them working on XP). I have both DCM2 & DCM2_103 installed. Which,at least 1 of those should be all that's needed,besides VP8,to make these work...

Is there another program I'm forgetting? I also tried to install the "vpmidi" program,but it won't install on a modern system,from what it seems(was it needed? I forget)...

There seems to be NO copy of most of these online,anymore. So,I'm uploading them again,in hopes some old-schooler(or retro-fan)will be able to determine how to make them playable,on a modern PC(Win10,specifically). Failing that,if ANYONE can turn them into NEW .vpt files,that will be playable on a single-screen that's NOT Widescreen(I have an old-school CRT),I will be more than satisfied w/ that,instead. Though,I doubt that will happen any more,than this being playable on a PC as modern as a Win10(maybe a Win7,wouldn't even be able to play these,anymore)...

Well,if nothing else,at least I'm bringing them back from the dead. I just hope there's a way to play them again someday,somehow. So,if ANYONE gets /any/ of these working,let me know,OK?

-Thanks in advance for any help received...

 

[xenonph]

@1st2MprovFIRE!
Every one of those tables you uploaded as attachments can be found in the Archive collection here...

Visual_Pinball_2020-06-20 directory listing

Specifically here in the Visual Pinball [VP1-VP7] Original Tables section...

Visual_Pinball_2020-06-20 directory listing

archive.org

You can find the older programs like DMC2, VPMIDI, and VPDisco at IRPinball site.
Click the Downloads tab at top of page, and then scroll down.

IRPinball

IRPinball is THE site to find free Visual Pinball Tables that have been recreated, no roms required for these classic pinball machines!

www.irpinball.org

Since you are running Win 10, you may need to right click on these exe's with mouse, and go to Properties, and click Compatibility, and make it compatible with WinXP. And then run them.

 

[1st2MprovFIRE!]

Sorry,but when I searched for "Urban Chaos",it didn't bring up it up as a search result with a table for download. Just an old discussion from before they were made into tables & "Druadic" was looking for playfield pics. Likely,this was just before they became available for VP...

But honestly,if 1 uses the search function on "Urban Chaos" with no parameters,it doesn't come up that there's any download of it,at all. So,I thought the others would likely be the same way. Since,they were all-ties into one-another in the download section,back in the early days. So,if anything,the search function should be blamed for making me think they weren't available,anymore...

On that note: searching for tables by name,usually only brings up results from more recent-times,whenever I've searched for other older tables. The "Fire" & "4 Roses" tables,being exact examples of this happening. But,in general,if 1 uses the search function to look up table names,the results only show VPX or non-VP results. So,I'm not really to be blamed,that I searched for these kind-of tables(specifically,"Urban Chaos",like I said before)& was led to believe they were no longer here. Also,they aren't at VPForums anymore,so I expected it to be certain,even more because of that...

But,someone should fix the search function,if U want it to be understood that older tables are still here(I've rarely seen any VP8 tables in any searches I've made)...

Specifically,search "Urban Chaos" & U will see that no results for downloads came up. So,sorry,but I thought the results would show downloads,as well...

 

[1st2MprovFIRE!]

BTW-DMC2 worked without needing to use compatibility mode. But,I will try the others in that,in case it helps. However,VPMidi requires using the CMD prompt. So,I doubt 1 can force the "REGSVR" part meant for a 32-bit machine,through because of that...

I mean,the typical "This program is made for a 32-bit machine. Please contact the provider for a 64-bit compatible version" nonsense will still result,even in compatibility mode,I'm quite sure(based-upon past attempts w/ such older software). Especially,since U can't really use compatibility mode in the CMD,I'm pretty-sure...

I really need to know how anyone-else has made their "Extreme Pinball" tables playable,is what I mean by this post/thread. I mean,if ANYONE has them working for them,on Win10,I request to know what they did. So that,I can do the same & play them again...

However,since U say they're in the download archive,I will go see if any comments there will provide answers...

Compatibility-mode seems to never help any,is the reason I don't expect it to be worth even bothering w/,most of the time. Meaning,I've tried w/ a LOT of older software/Game CDs & it honestly doesn't make a difference. In fact,NOT going through Compatibility-mode usually will cause things to work /more/,than using it. As,I think win10 auto-adjusts the settings it knows it can,to make older things work...

For instance,I've been able to use the old "Sierra Online" Pinball games,from the late 90's just by running the executables. Rather,than attempt compat. mode. And,compat. Mode actually acts like the game can't be run/played. So,I have VERY little faith in Compat. mode being of any use. Since,the VAST majority of the time,I can get BETTER results w/o it...

I suppose if nothing-else works,I will still try tho. But,U shouldn't think of compat. mode as all that useful. Unless,U know of someone or U,yourself has had success w/ it. Specifically,in this case. As,the VPMidi program can't really work in compat. mode,with it requiring CMD Prompt actions. I mean,I've never heard of compat. mode allowing 1 to use the CMD prompt /while/ remaining still in it. But,again,I admit I haven't even /considered/ it to be something that's possible. As,I'm not that knowledgeable,regarding a situation like this...

I mean,I'm expecting it to be possible that 1 day,eventually,some other VPer KNOWS of a way to play these tables using VP8(or even VP6,if that would somehow work). As,it's not like I'm LITERALLY the only 1 attempting to play these tables,from here on out. Someday,someone who has succeeded will hopefully see my posting & explain what it is they did,that I haven't already tried. Maybe,if the script was altered a certain way,all the requirements I can no longer meet can be removed. Which,seems the most-plausible,to me at this time...

Anyway,I'll check the downloads for ideas now. Glad to hear they DO still exist. But,once more,the search system here failed to reveal that they were still around. So,don't think I just didn't try & verify. Which,while on the subject: it is not readily-obvious how to find the downloads here. If it's under resources,it doesn't show a listing for tables by name,like on VPForums. It's actually quite-difficult to find the tables here. U seem to have to rely on a "search" function. Which,as I've pointed-out,doesn't always reveal what's buried here. So,without a "Downloads" section on the main bar at top,it's difficult to find lists to go through. Technically,VPForums makes it MUCH easier to search their downloads by using readily-obvious lists...

 

[1st2MprovFIRE!]

@1st2MprovFIRE!
Every one of those tables you uploaded as attachments can be found in the Archive collection here...

Visual_Pinball_2020-06-20 directory listing

Specifically here in the Visual Pinball [VP1-VP7] Original Tables section...

Visual_Pinball_2020-06-20 directory listing

archive.org

You can find the older programs like DMC2, VPMIDI, and VPDisco at IRPinball site.
Click the Downloads tab at top of page, and then scroll down.

IRPinball

IRPinball is THE site to find free Visual Pinball Tables that have been recreated, no roms required for these classic pinball machines!

www.irpinball.org

Since you are running Win 10, you may need to right click on these exe's with mouse, and go to Properties, and click Compatibility, and make it compatible with WinXP. And then run them.

OK. I've just discovered,that if U hadn't posted these links,there's NO WAY I would've ever known about these files being around anymore. I mean,this site doesn't have /anything/ to do w/ them being retained,it would seem. Since,1 has to go thru the Internet Archive,to find that any of these tables are still existing AT ALL. So,don't really act like I could've found this out on my own...

Also,I just tried using "downloads" & "Archives" as search words w/ VP8 as the tag,& barely any pages result. About 5 pages is all that U can find,in this matter. Proving my end-point. That,the search system here will keep most of what remains here,inaccessible. Unless,someone specifically links locations that /they've/ found,by searching for something specifically & getting the desired range of results...

I mean,any kind of general search keeps /most/ of what seems to still be here,buried. All because relying on a search engine,instead of having comprehensive lists,will ALWAYS cause probs. Given,the algorithm has ALWAYS been somewhat unreliable(I remember the complaints,trying to point this out)...

I mean,it was supposed to be a part of the site re-design at the time & the rumor was,that the search tabs would be done-away-with. But,ONLY if the search-engine stayed. As,it was 1 or the other. We couldn't have both,for some reason(too-taxing on the server,I think was the main reason given). As,the search-engine was supposed to ensure only relative results. That,would keep ppl from having to go thru many pages to find desired things(apparently,too many newer site-users were upset they had to go thru whole lists to find anything). But,I & a few others always warned that there should still remain search tabs,of /some/ kind. Which,this was because the trial-runs of the search-engine ALWAYS left-out some tables that were related to general searches...

Clearly,the tabs have been done away w/ & the search engine is now the ONLY way to find anything. But,I've always preferred going thru 100 pages to find stuff,if need be. Since,it meant U would always be sure to see EVERYTHING that was here. And,as I worried about,even-then,if the tabs were removed,I wouldn't be able to just go thru an alpahabetical list of stuff(heavily preferred). And,it's proven my point,that this was an inferior idea,ultimately. Since,an algorithm can never compensate properly for just having complete listings...

I LITERALLY am recalling all of this,now that I'm seeing that searching the way I do,/barely/ brings anything up that I'm looking for. I mean,I CANNOT avoid searching for things in a generic-fashion. As,I WANT to see 100+ results to go thru. Provided,I can at least narrow it down to VP-related tables & not the other emus. Considering,this wasn't a problem BEFORE the search-engine,it doesn't seem like things are BETTER this way(sorry,but I will ALWAYS miss the tabs)...

Anyway,just recalling everything leading-up to the search-engine fiasco,as some of us considered it to be...

But,I was really hoping that by now,someone had managed to fix the too-narrow-of-results problem. But,I guess no one ever could find a way. Anyway,U may have been here for all of this,but I recall now my dislike even then,of this "Search Engine-Only" idea the site-leader had in mind for us(Destruk,I think might've been who took-over,after Noah left). Which,I know we had a vote on it,to make things fair. But,w/ proven failures of the Search Engine,I never could understand why we would drop something that largely-worked,in favor of something that was "sketchy". Mainly,it was said that it would get better,as time wore on. But,it hasn't changed for the better,from my uses of it. And,I always disliked it for not bringing-up ALL tables,no matter HOW 1 searched...

Someone should at least bring back the ROMs list to the front page/tabs. As,searching for "ROMS" won't bring you to it,as mentioned. This,is at least ONE change to this site that's long over-due in returning,I feel. Which,the list still exists somewhere,but I haven't found it by direct means,is what I'm saying. That is, a Google Search will show the ROMs list is still VERY accessible,IF you can find it(I haven't been able to at-site,so far)...

Maybe I just find navigating here too-difficult,since I want to search everything alphabetically & it seems to be arranged chronologically. But,it should be noted,it used to not be this way,when I was here the 1st few years & this search-engine way makes things more difficult than it should be...

So,sorry that I sound like I'm complaining so much,I'm really just saying the search-engine is faulty & we should at least have /some/ easily-accessible "Downloads" lists. That,I always preferred & was hopeful would make a come-back,eventually...

Again tho,THANKS for linking to those archived tables! I've been looking for many of these,for a long time & REALLY appreciate U helping me to find them,again!!

Sorry again for complaining so much,I just REALLY miss the searchable lists. Since,I barely see any results when I search...

-Peace