Mechanized Assault & eXploration Reloaded



#1 Feb 19, 2009 6:26 pm
Registered since: Feb 19, 2009
Posts: 7


Subject: help new player with basic info
ok,what i need is simple short help about original max and this maxr mod,does anyone play original anyway and is it possible make it run on xp like it would run on win98 back old days,i have read some info about bosbox and vdmsound,dosbox aint have try yet (i got it and used manytimes so im familiar with it) vdmsound i try but screen is buggy anomaly and no playing with it.
if some pro know excatly what to do let original max run like it should i would preciate it

secondly i try that maxr but one problem was i didnt manage to change game as english,every message was russian/deutch or something like that so i forget it pretty quickly and same goes maxgold i try sametime..hmm or was it wiseversa,something weird it has but if maxr can be played in english or some other sane way give info about it too

lastly and most importantly i want know do anyone play original max as i have played it somewhere 1996 but i never found anyone who was willing to play it with me so i have seen million times how computer bugs and cowards..and i want play against human this probably most genious game i have seen.
gamestyle im looking is purely old fashioned turnbased without anykind hax,trainers,maphax or anything if there is something like that as 90% of multiplaying is somekind haxing...normal sane person who is motivated use even hours with one match..probably someone whos age is over 20 or older

idea im thinking if this can be runned under xp is battlelan,with this we can play lan games over internet and its lot simple and easy it may sound,download battlelan file->start it->go look lan game in game you wish to play->join.no need install anything except game itself

little help if someone wants run max as its should,i play it with another harddrive,one have windows xp another windows 98se and everygame that ain't running in xp probably runs under 98se perfectly and if not then dosbox handle rest,all you need do is switch hardrive and tadaa everything runs perfectly as 98se is only true windows that run games good,problem with max is that i dont want use internet with 98se so i need found way to make run on xp
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#2 Feb 19, 2009 7:22 pm
Sal Sal Offline
, G-Mod
Registered since: Jun 07, 2004
Posts: 1,525


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
Hello and a warm welcome ;D
Tell me about your XP PC specs, this screen bug sounds familiar, some newer gfx cards with new drivers don't support the old vesa anymore ( a very specific one that MAX runs on ) even without VDMSound, just plain xp.
You should try dosbox, it might help you alot with compatibility problems
To play Max LAN / ONLINE
There are many different ways to do so but there are very small chances you get it to run without crashes.
There is/was KAHN, that fowared the IPX packages from MAX to a server and then to the other players connected to the server aswell.
It worked pretty decent, but witn win95/98 only.
The usual problems are to find players first, a KAHN server and then still play the game after alot possible crashes. From my experience, it can drag all the fun down and no one is willing to play anymore.
Its still plays better over KAHN/online than over LAN, cause MAX's Multiplayer code is just too buggy.

I never tried BattleLan to play it over the net, but Hamachi could be very similar here. In both ways you probably have to install Novel's Network Client with the old IPX protocols, to even reach the multiplayer screen.
The really easiest way is to do it on yours win98 os, just block everything except the needed ports and you should be safe.

One thing I wanna add is that you can run MAX pretty smoothly over serial cable, with 2 players only, but nevertheless better than the other options. Since it run so nicely over the serial port, I tried to use some "Serial Port Redirector" to make it over the net
I never got finished, but that could be a small help.

good luck so far

sal
A.H.
- easy logic -
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#3 Feb 19, 2009 8:26 pm
Registered since: Feb 19, 2009
Posts: 7


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
my comp is bit..old ),thats one reason i play old games until i get some new stuff.

celeron 400,voodoo3,256ram...but at least i got more than enough in connection->20mb cable

bug is graphical mess/anomaly,i think game itself run under but can't draw proper graphic and result is mess,bosbox ain't working either as it says "can't load screen" or something

im sure too that only working way is to play it with 98se and game should have join ip possibilities too if i remember right and no need battlelan.
battlelan is similar to hamachi but lot easier and stable what i have experience with it,KAHN/other options sounds bit too unfamiliar now and i got feelings best way is 98 so i try it first,i read something about multiplay code so bug that every game crash after 120 turns but i can't say sure..just rumors

i know game is buggy and crash but i have learned pattern when it crash and why and those should be avoided in theory if humans play.
computer spread like disease in every direction without any intelligent reason and this makes finally situation where computer units get "stucked" cause they don't have room to move as every direction is filled with other units..so it can't end it's turn and game freezes,this happends around 150-200 turns,faster if AI difficult is raised,average event is that comp has somewhere 20 engineer units and they get stucked with each other + other units,this can be helped by destroying AI units/restarting game/loading/changing turntime/pressing end turn rapidly after you end you turn as this sometimes forces computer to end it's turn rightaway,my longest game without crashing was somewhere 800-900 turns.
ow one way too is,make 2 savegames slots and save after every turn with each savegame having 2-3 turn distance,when game crashes load game that is 3 turns before and sometimes game ain't crashing when you come on turn that crashes..but eventually game will crash no matter what ) humans should avoid that situation,if code still crash game after 120 turns what i heard then this game may be impossible to play or try anykind good gaming with it,so shame so sad..if i have to choose 1 game what i play rest of my life it would be M.A.X. that works without bugging and AI plays so humanly/good that i would lose to it 50% of time that would be heaven Cool

only question remains is there anyone willing to play and can they make it run properly Cool
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#4 Feb 19, 2009 8:36 pm
beko beko Offline
Developer, Administrator
Registered since: Jun 04, 2004
Posts: 2,279


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
I have no clue what you exactly try beside running the original on XP (and I'd forget that if I read your hardware specs right) but MAX knows nothing about TCP/IP (0, zero, nadda).

That's why we are writing MAXR. TCP/IP is now very playable and close to the original. We're implementing missing features atm and the goal is to make this exactly like the original _but_ with the possibility to play on the internet (no singleplayer and AI for now). Sadly we require at the moment a lot more processor power than the original. What I don't get is what you mean with russian language. There is a russian language file but default _is_ english. You may _try_ stuff and _read_ the READMEs - thanks Smiling
Bernd Kosmahl
"Sir, we are surrounded!" - "Great - we can attack in any direction."
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#5 Feb 19, 2009 9:16 pm
Registered since: Feb 19, 2009
Posts: 7


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
ah i might confuse maxr to maxgold it has russian language or something,i try maxr again some close day and look how it was..hope my comp can run it if it need lot more cpu power
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#6 Feb 19, 2009 9:49 pm
Sal Sal Offline
, G-Mod
Registered since: Jun 07, 2004
Posts: 1,525


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
oh a voodoo 3 ? I had the same problems back then! I never got it to work until I upgraded to a Geforce ddr or something.
Your observations are very good indeed. But MAX in multiplayer is mostly unplayable of "out of sync" bugs in the MAX network code, so its not AI problem like in the singerplayer games.
one way to fix crashing multiplayer games is to copy&load one save file from ono pc, so everybody is in the same " state"
another option is to rename the mp save file to *hot and kill the bad units and bugs that are in there, and load it back in multiplayer
sooooooooooooooo
I really would suggest you to try MAXR, it might be the exact thing what you are looking for.
the installer is great and easy to use. The developers ( from here ) are still working on it, so it can get only better and better
give it a try ;D
A.H.
- easy logic -
This post has been edited 2 times. Last edit on Feb 20, 2009 12:56 am by Sal. ↑  ↓

#7 Jun 11, 2013 3:36 pm
Registered since: Feb 19, 2009
Posts: 7


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
Howdy, seems like my near four years old post still lurks here ). Anyway I still want play M.A.X. with humans Cool
So how it was, M.A.X.R. is the game you play here?

If so then I could try again. Would be nice if someone gives me step by step instructions what I have to do make M.A.X.R. run under XP.
(I know it's simply game install + mod install, but everything always have minor things that need to know or you lose your calm and I'm too old to get interested right now learn every details again for million time for new game, so I need some pro telling me if there is such...pits...awaiting ).
Also would be nice to know how much there is active players and is this game seriously played still today. The roughly players counts - 10, 20, 50 or more. Personally I think 10-20 is enough to have working play community).

If all goes nicely and this M.A.X.R. is that M.A.X. which I have loved nearly 20 years soon (16-17 to be precise P), + I found some "normal" and "intelligent" person who ain't hurry to play turn based games in 5 mins, then I might just get hard on Cool .

Also if you people still continue this mod and like to have some new dude giving ideas, then I'm all ready to help.
(I know how million time heard phrase this is - I have ideas. But I guess I'm not from lowest shit pile to cry this out D.
If you know my name from other game then you know what I'm speaking of).
Anyway if you bored to heard any of this idea syndrome then let me know and I shut my mouth about this area xD.
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#8 Jun 11, 2013 9:30 pm
beko beko Offline
Developer, Administrator
Registered since: Jun 04, 2004
Posts: 2,279


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
Easy enough. Just download the latest nightly build standalone (http://www.maxr.org/...-latest.7z), unpack and maxr away. No need to install it even. Simply try it out before stepping in the dungeon.

The latest release has a fancy installer as well. You can simply install it by pressing "Forward" until it's done.

Most people that are playing active meet in the evenings (GMT+1) on the IRC and start games there. Personal flavors of MAXR are disscussed before games start. In fact most people on the IRC always play with the latest nightly build to help us debug.

If you want the missing sounds and original graphics you have to run the resinstaller (NOT in the latest nightly but either in the release version or in e.g. Eiko's nightly that acts like a patchset to the release). That's however up to you. For the core programm it only matters that you use the very same Nightly (revision) or Release (version) as the host does.

Nonsinn wrote a guide about it. Somewhere. Smiling
Bernd Kosmahl
"Sir, we are surrounded!" - "Great - we can attack in any direction."
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#9 Jun 11, 2013 10:19 pm
Sal Sal Offline
, G-Mod
Registered since: Jun 07, 2004
Posts: 1,525


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
Secrets to play with you a multiplayer?

should be on frontpage imo ;D

all you need to know!
A.H.
- easy logic -
This post has been edited 1 times. Last edit on Jun 11, 2013 10:20 pm by Sal. ↑  ↓

#10 Jun 12, 2013 1:22 pm
Registered since: Feb 19, 2009
Posts: 7


Subject: Re: help new player with basic info
It was easy yeah. I merely expect horrors that would last few days until I see game actually running, but it runs just like that once you unpack mod files...or something ).

But then the total demoralizing terror strikes - the game looks + feels horrible! (I merely test it on single play to see how it looks and feels).
By looking those pathetic, childish, silly (and all like that) units, wondering where the hell is original building/units sounds, where the hell is soundtrack of original...I begin to ask myself what kind of piece of shit this is again? Is this how some dudes see M.A.X. is better?
Basically all the atmosphere that makes M.A.X. ...ain't there...

I understand that modding the actual original M.A.X. can be impossible if there is question of source game files which those brain dead original game makers either destroyed years ago or simply don't want release them for players finishing their job (and without payment, of course). So you have to do something from scratch to alter this super hyper ultra MANLY game. And it will then look like...that (which is somehow inevitable. As they always are - assholes trying to do it but better: it always end up worst kind shit that it could be).

But hey! What I heard! I can use original graphs and bring original sounds back! Jeez I was way too hasty again and forget the hole mod in less than 20 min. Good that some dick winer tell me that Grinning
- Have to give it a try once more and switch those graphs to see what happens.

But, but, if it still feels...not M.A.X., I just forget the crap and ask once one - have you peeps found way to play the ORIGINAL game somehow?
Could it be done with WIndows 98 emulator and Battlelan? Host game by serial, or even invite other player over internet on your comp and play hotseat Grinning (that would be sick proof of someone's manly power - play the game on hotseat over internet Grinning Grinning Grinning )

And as last message from me I suspect - how about you fuck-rillos who make the game? I know that on time to time, those green-purple gooks lurk on sites like this and check out how much people still glorify their games. How about you dummy-dons do what it takes to finish the ultimate manly game: M.A.X.; not first time that some game actually get finished after 10 years by some manly person who were part of that manly saga of making the game.
All it needs is internal working server system to host and locate games + fixing the few major crash bugs that AI does + give balls to AI so it won't retreat screaming with +10 tanks when it sees one missile crawler. That's the maybe most game destroying error in this game - the AI won't attack even if it has great advance in numbers. And it gets stuck cause all those cowardly assholes race to get furthest away of me...screaming with sheer terror in their mechanized heart.

I must truly be M.A.X. Commander Cool

Or then person who were responsible of AI behavior, was just one of the lowest living life-forms on this planet. And should be executed right now if he/she/it still lives.
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