Aces of the Deep Command Problem

[quic...@my-deja.com]

Ok,ok. I know AOD is a dead horse, but it is a classic dead horse and I
figured it would help pass the time till SHII arrives. So I order it
from ChipsnBits via the Subsim Review site, install it, and discover in
reading the readme files it will only run on w95!?! Since when will 98
not run a 95 program? There has to be a fix for this! The game installs
fine. The error is on attempting to boot AOD. The opening screen comes
up followed by this message:

ASSERT::err: Line 522 in "..\sim\win_snd.ccp Unable to initialize
sound/fx

Anyone got a soulution for this really annoying problem? I mean, why
push the product on Subsim Review if it will only run on a platform
outdated for 3 years?

Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/

[Mark D. Stotzer [MS MVP]]

I'm running it on Windows 98 SE-maybe the program does not like your sound
or video card.

<quic...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:95vm2a$uf4$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

[quic...@my-deja.com]

Thanks for the post. Interesting. I run 98SE too. My sound card is a
Creative Labs Soundblaster Live, full version. A very good card. I
wonder if it is a driver issue? Any other thoughts?? Anyone?

[John Ochenduszko]

This information is from the Sierra support pages:

Description:

"Assert::err: line 522 in "..\sim\win_snd.cpp": Unable to initialize
Sound/FX

Solution:

Contact the sound card or computer manufacturer for the latest drivers for
the sound card. (Usually driver updates are free and can be obtained from
the system vendor or downloaded from a web page).

Also try making sure there are no other programs running in Windows 95. To
do this hold down the CTRL and ALT keys and press the DEL key. This will
bring up a Close Program Box. The Close Program Box will show the currently
running programs. The only program we want listed in the task list is
Explorer. If there are other programs in the task list highlight one of them
and click on the End Task button. Repeat steps A and B until the only
program listed in the Close Program Box is the Explorer.

NOTE: Some programs can not be shut down using these steps. You will need to
shut down those programs according to the instructions specific to those
programs. Once the Explorer is the only program in the Close Program Box try
the game again.

<quic...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:95vm2a$uf4$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

[George]

I tried installing the game on my computer a while back and had the same
problem. My computer also has a sound blaster live. My guess is that the
game doesn't like PCI sound card and the emulated DOS modes of such cards.

George

<quic...@my-deja.com> wrote in message news:962afl$6jo$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...

[rick...@my-deja.com]

Agreed. No question it is a sound issue. I am trying a few oddball work
arounds. If I solve it, I'll let you know.

Rick W.

[SUBSIM Review]

When it says it runs only on Win 95, it's trying to tell you it won't run on
Windows 3.1. Remember 3.1? That was the era that Command Aces came out in, the
beginning of Win 95, end of 3.1.

It runs on my Gateway with Win 98. First off, any game sold, whether on Subsim
Review or Best buy, stand a chance at incompatibilty with some systems. You
should know that. We are not pushing a product that will not run on new systems.
We are offering the product. It's your system, make it behave ;)

If you want, e-mail me at sub...@subsim.com and I'll do what I can to get you
going. Be glad to see you off to sea.

Neal
SUBSIM Review
www.subsim.com

[Rick West]

    Neal,
             Please pardon the very minor hissy fit. It was not directed in any way at the fine and very useful folks at SUBSIM Review! As for remembering WIN3.1, thats's recent architecture! Do you remember Basic, Machine Code, and MCTs? (magnetic computer tapes)  :]
    My first 'sim' was a game with the devilishly clever title 'Star Trek' on the University of Maine mainframe in 1978! It consisted of white * (ships) being moved around by typed commands on a square grid of white dots on a fuzzy green background. Photon torpedoes had a range of 1 dot on the grid. Phasers, 2 dots. You saw no actual action. Only the grid and ship locations. It was entirely text based and the text of the whole battle printed out on a dot matrix printer that sounded a lot like a '72 Pinto at hi revs on a big patch of ice. Somewhere I still have about 5 lbs of light green and white computer paper in one long sheet depicting what, at the time, was no doubt an epic battle between 'Enterprise' and 'Klingon Cruiser'. How far we have come and how little todays gamers realize it. Case in point is the current AOSII debacle. In 1978, AOSII would have stopped every single technical department at every University, lab, or electronics business in the world and been a source of absolute awe to the greatest scientific minds on the planet. People who put men on the moon would have stood with their mouths agape and utterly speechless. Now, people without so much as a clue how to program a VCR, just bitch and whine because they can't make their home computer run it. Home computer? In '78 a home computer was called a 'pocket calculator' and a good one that could do some complex mathematics cost $90 or more. I defy anyone to name a period of time in world history as short as 1978-2001, 23 years, in which science and technology for personal use has come so far. And they still whine because a game has a few bugs........Sheesh!
    Back to the AOD situation. As a 21 year computer user, I was skeptical of the statement on the side of the 'Aces Collection' box that makes a very specific note "A10-2 and Command Aces of the Deep req WIN95 ONLY". It was a simply a matter of questionable interpretation on my part. (It was also 2am and I was tired and annoyed) However, you must admit, that since the product is sold as W98 compatible, that statement is potentially very misleading. Taken in context that those games were engineered under W95, it makes sense, but if you look at it from a 'sold for W98' perspective, it causes one to stop and think when the product fails to work initially under W98. I had never encountered any W95 software that would not run under W98 though a few have need a bit of tweaking. This appears to be one of those, nothing more.
    As for my personally hand built system behaving, it minds me very well, thank you. Certainly better than most peoples systems mind their owners. :]
    It has been suggested that the CL sound drivers for the SB Live! are at fault. I have the most up to date ones on the CL site. My video drivers are brand new from NVidia site. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear 'em......
    Here again is the message generated by W98SE : ASSERT::err: Line 522 in "..\sim\win_snd.ccp Unable to initialize sound/fx
    I look forward to hearing from you.

Rick West    (The Rick W. of all the AOSII posts)

[Rick West]

    Ah! Thank you, Volker.  I missed this post during the Deja-Google switch over...

Rick W.

Volker Wagner wrote:

Quoted text: quic...@my-deja.com [<95vm2a$uf4$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>]:

>ASSERT::err: Line 522 in "..\sim\win_snd.ccp Unable to initialize
>sound/fx

Do you have a Soundblaster Live? If so, you won't be able to run the
game with this sound card. That's what Sierra Support told me in an
e-mail.

cu,
Volker