SHP Forums

Synopsis:
I spent days trying to get LOTR2 and the Siege Pack working natively in my XP x64 Desktop, and had I been able to find a guide on the subject it would have made it much, much simpler. Currently, this guide is a WIP, though I'll try to be as thorough and complete on the first draft as possible. This guide is not intended to teach you how to install a guest OS in a VM (Virtual Machine) as Google and YouTube have that covered a thousand times over. Essentially, we're going to create a VM Windows 98 SE. Any other older Windows OS will work so long as it is compatible with 16 bit installers, though I couldn't get the Siege Pack's installation package to run in DOS as it is designed to run through Windows. Next, we'll install the game to the VM then mount the disk image (the virtual HDD) as if it were a disc in your host OS. Copy and Paste the installation, make a few alterations to some .ini's, and enjoy one of the best strategy games of all time.

What You'll Need:
Lords of the Realm 2 and the Siege Pack (they're AbondonWare and .iso's work fine)
A Windows 98 SE (or similar) installation disc
VirualBox 1.6.2 (I used an older version but newer versions or other VM programs will probably work fine)
WinMount (This handy little program allows us to mount a HDD image as if it were a CD. It's compatible with a wide array of HDD Image formats and other various file types. The free version didn't include mounting features on my OS, even though their website claims they'd never stoop so low as to remove features from it, so I had to dig for a 14 day trial version)
Daemon Tools or Magic Disc (whichever you prefer)

Installation Procedure:
Step 1:
Install your Guest OS on a Virtual HDD with your VM Program. I recommend ensuring you have plenty of space on the HDD Image so 2GB is pretty comfortable for software this old. Be sure to make a static sized HDD Image as any software you find that is capable of mounting Virtual HDDs doesn't work with dynamically adjustable images (WinMount included).
Step 2:
Install Lords of the Realm 2 and the Lords of the Realm 2: Siege Pack onto the Guest OS running in the Virtual Machine.
Step 3:
Close the Virtual Machine and mount the HDD Image via WinMount. Then Copy and Paste C:\Sierra\ and all of it's subfolders to a location on your HDD. I used C:\Program Files (x86)\ though any location should be fine as we're going to alter the .ini's to reflect where the game has been moved to later on.
Step 4:
Under C:\Windows\ on the Virtual HDD you'll find a file called "Sierra.ini" you also need to Copy and Paste this to your HDD. I copied mine to C:\Windows\ though, again, any location should work as we're going to alter the .ini's to reflect where this file has been placed as well.
Step 5:
Open "L2.ini" located in your \Sierra\Lords 2\ directory with a text editing program of your choice (I used Notepad). You should see the following: Change the CD Drive to match the letter of the drive you'll be using to play the game. You can only play the game from one drive (ever, period) so keep this in mind.
Also, change the Windows Directory to match where you've placed "Sierra.ini". My altered "L2.ini" looks like this: Step 6:
Browse to the directory you placed "Sierra.ini" in and open it. You'll see this: Under the Config section alter "CDRomDrives=" to match the drive you selected in the previous step. Mine looks like this: Under the Sierra, SierraDirs, and ProductDirs sections, alter the file paths to match where you've copied the game to. Mine: Step 6:
Insert or mount the CD pertaining to the content you'd like to play (You have to use the original disc to play the original "campaign" and the expansion disc to play "skirmish", or the new "campaign") into the drive you told the game to expect the disc in int he previous steps and start the game via a desktop shortcut.

Known Issues:
Upon inserting either LOTR2 discs into your PC, the installation splash comes up if autorun is enabled. It will not allow you to launch the game through the autorun launcher. Simply choose "Quit" then launch the game through a desktop shortcut to "Lords2.exe". If anyone who reads this has any suggestions on how to go about telling the game it is in-fact installed I'm more than welcome to hear them. I tried scouring the registry of my Windows 98 VM for a registry key pertaining to this to no avail. I may have, however, missed it as I'm no Windows Tech.

Change Log:
v0.1 -- First Draft. I may add links to more specific instructions on the setup of VMs etc. later and am open to suggestions for improvements.

Thanks. Just so you know, "abandonware" is not supported or encouraged on this site. While I am not unsympathetic with the concept of it, it is not legal. It can usually be found for a reasonable price and I would imagine that GOG might be releasing it at some point. Here is one on eBay with a "But it now" for just $14.95.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lords-Realm-II- ... 4fa9c0adc2

I just had a looked at the Siege Pack myself. The original installer does not do much outside of copying some files from the FILES folder on the CD to the Lords2 installation folder. Siege Pack just uses the registry entries and the main SIERRA.INI entries from the Lords2 installation, so it should not be that involved to add Siege Pack to a Lords2 installation. The main thing that will take more investigation is the fact that Siege Pack is win only. I would need to determine if the siege Pack works from the Lords 2 DOS EXE or with the StC modified Win EXE. Lords2 has a 16-bit installer, too, but it is one of the rare 16-bit Install Shield installers that will run on x64 Windows, while the Siege Pack's 16-bit is not.

I should also take a look at the StC installer to see if I can fix the "CD not found" errors that some encounter and set it up for CD-less play. This would make net play possible without having to mess around with a VM just fro net play, that is assuming that there are any fan supported servers for the game.

GOG does have the Royal Edition compilation for $5.99 and it comes with a 32 bit installer.

This means the license is active and is apparently owned by Activision now and this game is not true AbandonWare. It also means I wasted days trying to figure out how to install it...

Okay, so you may have wasted some time, but you did it with good intentions. If nothing else, you've indirectly pointed some individuals (most likely people who browse, but never post) toward a game you enjoy. The fact it's on GOG just means it's more easily accessible to everyone.

Abandonware has no legal meaning. Just because a game is no longer sold does not mean that it is not owned by someone or some corporation. Personally, I feel that we should go back to the original copyright and patent laws that gave creators protection for a reasonable amount of time (was it 17 years?) , but then became public domain.

In any case, this site has enough of a profile that it needs to be careful about such matters.

Collector wrote:In any case, this site has enough of a profile that it needs to be careful about such matters.

True. Didn't Microsoft think this is Sierra's actual website or something? Kind of funny considering Sierra hasn't really existed since the late 90s.

Collector wrote:Abandonware has no legal meaning. Just because a game is no longer sold does not mean that it is not owned by someone or some corporation. Personally, I feel that we should go back to the original copyright and patent laws that gave creators protection for a reasonable amount of time (was it 17 years?) , but then became public domain.

In any case, this site has enough of a profile that it needs to be careful about such matters.

I was under the impression that Sierra had closed it's doors without selling it's rights to other companies due to finding the game widely available for free on multiple "AbandonWare" websites (as that's what AbandonWare meant 5 years ago). I wasn't aware of Vivendi acquiring Sierra before Vivendi Games merged with Activision.

Also, how do I edit my OP? I'd like to update it soon, it's still relevant to anyone who would like to install the game on a modern machine until someone can get around to making an installer.

As I said, the term abandonware has no legal meaning. Sites that have these games for download are doing so illegally. If the copyright holder is unaware or does not want to bother, such sites may be able to get away with it indefinitely, but it still does not make it legal. Most, but not all, of the old Sierra IP now belongs to Activision. What ever else one might want to say about Activision, they at least seem to realize that they can capitalize on this IP instead of just sitting on it. In addition to licensing them out to the likes of GOG and Steam, there are also be new games in the works, such as KQ and the newly announced LSL HD.

Besides, by encouraging people to buy the re-releases, it shows that there is still a market for them. That makes it all the more likely that we may get new games.

As far as your guide goes, I am currently working on an installer for the Siege Pack. If you want, you could shift the emphasis of the guide to just setting up a VM. I consider a VM as a last resort for a number of reasons. However, sometimes it may be the only recourse for a handful of games. The board give you a couple of hours to edit. Beyond this point you will have to ask an admin or moderator to make any edits for you. If you want to contribute a VM guide, just start a new thread in the Other Games & Helpforum. One of the team can sticky it for you.