- INSTALL HELP
- [1.1] Q: Does Eastern Sun run under Windows Vista/7?
- [1.2] Q: What compatibility modes do I need to run it?
- START UP HELP
- [2.1] Q: Diablo II (v1.12 or higher) works, but Eastern Sun will not. My mouse turns to a CD Icon, then nothing happens. Battle Chest edition Users read here!
- [2.2] Q: I've downloaded the MiniCD, how do I mount it?
- [2.3] Q: I get a File Initialization Error on 64bit Windows, how do I fix it?
- [2.4] Q: The game takes a long time to start up.
- [2.5] Q: The game has weird letters/symbols in the upper left corner.
- PLAYING HELP
- [3.1] Q: My single player game is slow / "laggy" / not responsive.
- [3.2] Q: The colors are weird/psychedelic when I use DriectDraw (2D).
- [3.3] Q: Can I use my characters from an older version?
- EXTRAS HELP
- [4.1] Q: Can I use different resolutions / larger Windowed Mode size?
- [4.2] Q: Does MultiRes work with Eastern Sun? (See update!)
- [4.3] Q: MultiRes has some stuttering/black block issues.
- [4.4] Q: Is Alcohol 52%/120% and the MiniCD safe to use?
You can use your browsers search feature (ctrl+F) to jump to your question using the index number.
INSTALL HELP
[1.1] Q: Does Eastern Sun run under Windows Vista/7?
[1.2] Q: What compatibility modes do I need to run it?
A: Diablo II will run under Windows Vista and 7 normally with no need for compatibility.
Since Eastern Sun is just a modification to Diablo II, it will also work, however installing Diablo II/Eastern Sun to the default directory (C:\Program Files\Diablo II) may cause some issues with User Account Control (UAC). This can easily be fixed by installing Diablo II to a folder that is not protected by UAC like C:\Games\Diablo II. Alternatively, you could disable UAC, however it is a security feature and it is not recommended to disable.
NOTE: If you install Diablo II to an alternate directory, ensure that you also install Eastern Sun to that directory.
The easiest way to do that is when running the installer, press the "Browse" button and point it to the folder that contains the Diablo II install folder (e.g. C:\Games and -not- C:\Games\Diablo II) then click the "Add default folder" button right below. This will automatically add the "\Diablo II\es300r\" to the path you've chosen.
While you shouldn't need to use any compatibility modes, DirectDraw (2D) and 3dfx Glide (also Sven's Wrapper) have problems with the way Aero renders the desktop. If you are running Windows Vista/7 you can disable Desktop Composition while Diablo II/Eastern Sun runs with the followings teps:
- Browse to your Diablo II directory and find the application you use to start Eastern Sun or Diablo II.
(es300r_launcher.exe for Eastern Sun, but you can do it to Game.exe for ALL of Diablo II including Eastern Sun) - Right click -> Properties and go to the Compatibility tab.
- Place a check next to "Disable desktop composition".
- Click "Apply" then "OK".
START UP HELP
[2.1] Q: Diablo II (v1.12 or higher) works, but Eastern Sun will not. My mouse turns to a CD Icon, then nothing happens.
Battle Chest edition Users read here!
A: Eastern Sun is a 1.10 mod. To work with newer versions of Diablo II installed, Eastern Sun will back up your game files and temporarily revert your game to 1.10 which includes a CD check. If you are using the Digital Download copy from Battle.net or a Battle Chest edition (v1.12 or higher), you can use a mounted MiniCD to pass the games security check. You will need an application like Alcohol 52/120% or Daemon Tools.
You will need to enable the following option under Alcohol52%/120% or DaemonTools:
- For Alcohol 52%/120%, under Emulation and Extra Emulation:
- RMPS (Recordable Media Physical Signature) Emulation
- BAD Sector Emulation
- Sub-Channel Data Fixed and Emulation
- For Daemon Tools, under Preferences -> Advanced:
- SafeDisk
- SecuRom
- If DaemonTools still gives you problems, right click the tray icon and under Emulation check the ALL OPTIONS ON box. Thanks to Dzonny for the info.
Download links for Alcohol 52% and the MiniCD are found here:
- http://www.free-downloads.net/programs/ ... ee_Edition
- http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?8n1y2v2u2mvvuws
[2.2] Q: I've downloaded the MiniCD, how do I mount it?
A: There are two ways to mount images using Alcohol 52%/120%:
- From the File Manager:
- Browse to the location of the MiniCD
- Open the main Alcohol 52%/120% window
- Drag and Drop the image file(s) into the main Alcohol window
- Right click the image name in the Alcohol window -> Mount on Device -> <Your Drive Letter>
- Mount the image directly:
- Open the main Alcohol 52%/120% window
- Along the bottom, you'll see a drive listing, find the Virtual DVD/CD-ROM section
- Right click a drive in that section and choose Mount Image...
- Use the Open dialogue box to browse for the CD image files
[2.3] Q: I get a File Initialization Error on 64bit Windows, how do I fix it?
A: This seems to happen when using the latest Battle Chest edition of Diablo II and Lord of Destruction expansion on 64bit Windows.
The solution is to install Diablo II to a folder outside of "Program Files (x86)", like "C:\Games\Diablo II\".
In addition to the File Initialization error, the Battle Chest edition seems to be missing the CD Verification needed to launch older versions of Diablo, so once you've installed the game to a new folder, follow the steps above for using the MiniCD.
[2.4] Q: The game takes a long time to start up.
[2.5] Q: The game has weird letters/symbols in the upper left corner.
A: Disable Desktop Composition if you are running Windows Vista/7:
- Browse to your Diablo II directory and find the application you use to start Eastern Sun.
(normally es300r_launcher.exe, but if you use the v1.12 mod select Game.exe) - Right click -> Properties and go to the Compatibility tab.
- Place a check next to "Disable desktop composition".
- Click "Apply" then "OK".
PLAYING HELP
[3.1] Q: My single player game is slow / "laggy" / not responsive.
A: Ensure your video drivers are installed and updated. If you are unsure of which GPU (Graphics Processor Unit) you have, you can go
Start -> Control Panel -> Device Manager and click the arrow next to "Display adapters" to find out which model and brand of card you have. You can then go to your GPU manufacturer's website and download the latest drivers for the model card you have. After that, run "D2VidTest.exe" and select choose a display option of your choice.
The two major GPU manufacturers are ATI (AMD) and nVidia and their sites are listed below:
[3.2] Q: The colors are weird when I use DriectDraw (2D).
A: I really cannot explain it any better than CajunAzn already did, so here's a quote:
You can manually edit the registry (instructions found in CajunAzn's post linked above), but I would recommend using Crappy Bitter's DirectDraw Compatibility Tool to automate the process since not everyone's system is the same. Also manually editing the registry should be left to people who know what they're doing.CajunAzn" wrote:The second problem with DirectDraw is the 'psychedelic colors' problem once the game has launched, where the game colors will appear 'rainbow-like' and grainy. This problem seems to related to Diablo 2 using earlier DirectX7 DirectDraw calls in 8bit mode, which are not translated properly to 32bit color.
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There are a couple of workarounds found on the net to the 'psychedelic color' problem, such is killing explorer via batch script before launching D2, or using DxWnd to launch D2 (which takes care of the DirectDraw color mapping), but these are clumsy in my opinion. The best solution is to use the inbuilt compatibility fixes in DirectX which can be enabled via the registry.
In addition, you should disable Desktop Composition if you are running Windows Vista/7:
- Browse to your Diablo II directory and find the application you use to start Eastern Sun.
(normally es300r_launcher.exe, but if you use the v1.12 mod select Game.exe) - Right click -> Properties and go to the Compatibility tab.
- Place a check next to "Disable desktop composition".
- Click "Apply" then "OK".
[3.3] Q: Can I use my characters from an older version?
A: Possibly.
- If your characters are from a previous 3.00R6x series, you should be all set.
- If your characters are from 3.00R5x series, you can use Nameless' Character Utility tool to convert them to work with the 3.00R6x series.
- If your characters are OLDER than that, there is no way to convert them.
Wiki page and Download link for Nameless' Character Utility tool:
EXTRAS HELP
[4.1] Q: Can I use different resolutions / larger Windowed Mode size?
[4.2] Q: Does MultiRes work with Eastern Sun?
A: Unfortunately, MultiRes is a 1.12 mod and in it's current state, incompatible with any previous versions of Diablo II.
However, with Sven's Glide3-to-OpenGL wrapper you can set the Window Size. Install Glide3-to-OpenGL to your Diablo II directory (NOT Eastern Sun!) then run "D2VidTest.exe" and select "3dfx Glide: 3dfx Glide". Next, run "glide-init.exe" (Second button from the bottom will change German to English) and click the "settings" button and apply the following settings:
- "windowed-mode" -- Check if you want to play in Windowed Mode.
- "static size" -- Set to the resolution you want to play in.
- "window extras" -- Enable this if you play in Windowed Mode.
- "desktopresolution" -- Disable this. Option never worked for me.
Next click the "renderer" button and set the following options:
- "bilinear filtering" -- Enable this.
- "supersampling" -- Disable this. If you don't have the option, it's fine.
Lastly, you will need to go into your Eastern Sun folder and find "es300r_launcher.exe".**
- Right click -> Properties and go to the Compatibility tab.
- Place a check next to "Disable desktop composition".
- Click "Apply" then "OK". You're now ready to play!
** NOTE: This step is not needed if you use the Test version files.
Install Glide3-to-OpenGL normally, then overwrite the glide3x.dll and glide-init.exe files with the test version files.
Download link for Sven's Glide3-to-OpenGL Wrapper: UPDATE: A user by the name of zinx has ported the DLLs needed for Eastern Sun R6D to Diablo 1.12a for use with things like D2MultiRes!
I have tried it out a bit and so far in my testing I think 99.99% of things work ask they should. Anything that is found to not be working should be reported so that a solution can be found.
You can find the topic here:
[4.3] Q: MultiRes has some stuttering/black block issues.
A: Another problem/solution from CajunAzn.
CajunAzn" wrote:Some people might have noticed a lot of stutter when running the MultiRes mod at high resolutions like 1080p which many creatures and spell effects on screen. The frame rates can be drastically improved by setting the render mode to DirectDraw(2D) using the 'D2VidTst.exe'.
DirectDraw also seems to improve 'tile-loading' for the game. In D3D mode, often you'll see the black patches in the terrain as you move around (since game was never programmed with a high res field of view in mind). The delay is much improved when using DirectDraw to the point where I hardly notice it.
[4.4] Q: Is Alcohol 52%/120% and the MiniCD safe to use?
A: As far as I am conserned, Absolutely 100%.
Below you can see VirusTotal (an online virus scan that uses about 40 virus scanners to attempt to weed out false positives) results for the archive itself as well as the two individual files.
It should be noted that there IS a warning from one of the virus scanners. However, while one warning out of 40 usually indicates a false positive, I have an explanation for the reason why it would show up below.
Also, as of writing this (2010-06-14) the MiniCD image has been downloaded 1,526 times. If even 1/10th of those downloads are from unique users, that's still about 152 people who use or have used it and had no problems.
Virustotal scan of:
- Diablo II LoD MiniCD.zip 0 / 44 (updated 2012-10-23)
- Diablo II LOD MiniCD.mdf 1 / 44 (updated 2012-10-23)
- Diablo II LOD MiniCD.MDS 0 / 44 (updated 2012-10-23)
Stabby_McTwist" wrote:There is one alert that pops up, "Heuristic.BehavesLike.Exploit.CodeExec.FFOO" "Heuristic.BehavesLike.Exploit.CodeExec.O" (updated 2012-10-23) from McAfee-GW-Edition.
If I'm not mistaken, that 'CodeExec' is the AutoRun feature that is the menu that pops up when inserting the full CD, but since there is NO DATA in the file it's trying to run -- in fact, there is no data in the image beyond the ToC except for 2 files: autorun.inf (100% 1:1 copy from the retail LoD CD) and Binkw32.dll (75% 1:1 copy, remaining 25% being 'blanked out' with 00 hex bytes) -- it looks suspicious. But no matter how suspicious something might look to an automated scan, the fact is there is no data, malicious or otherwise, that is being executed.
It might help you understand why this is 100% harmless if I explain the process of making the MiniCD to you.
You start out like you would for any CD Image backup: You open your CD Image utility (sometimes called a Ripper), you configure it to your liking (often to ignore bad sectors, since they usually mask the security infromation as bad sectors) and then press the start/go/create button.
When making a MiniCD you have one small but important step after that: Press cancel.
That's it.
You cancel the creation process VERY shortly after you start.
This way, you get the header information (the Table of Contents, the security information) and hopefully, that's it, ending up with "0 byte" files. Their information shows the full size (i.e. the 105MB of D2xvideo.mpq) but there is no information inside of it.
There is one small requirement that must be met though: You need to use a CD Imaging tool that will NOT delete the image after you press cancel.
Alcohol 52%/120% is capable of doing this, and making virtual drives, and mounting images, and burning images (120%), and just about anything else you would want to do, which is why I recommend it.