Posted April 27, 2024
Good day.
I have finished DK2 today and got a lot of issues to make it run without constant crashes. During my research to fix the game, it seems that a lot of people are also having issues. So I decided to create this topic, in order to help others on the way.
I need to clarify: some bugs did not happened to me, who has a GOG version of the game (a lot of issues already fixed). I just want this thread to be the most helpful, who matters.
Here goes a list of issues and a way to fix those.
A QUICK WORD: PATCH IT!
If your Dungeon Keeper 2 copy is not already, patch it to v1.7.
GOG version players are not concerned, as it is already in v1.7.
PART Ⅰ - RESOLUTION ISSUES
"Big plans! Big! Big plans!"
Q: IT SEEMS THAT I'M TOO ZOOMED IN, HOW TO ZOOM OUT?
Not a bug, but a lot of people are confused so I put it here:
Dungeon Keeper 2 is an old game. Back in the days the memory of computers was very limited, that's why you are starting this close to your base.*
The controls for the camera are:
Zoom in : HOME key (or Ctrl + ArrowUp)
Zoom out : END key (or Ctrl + ArrowDown)
Rotate left : DELETE key (or Ctrl + ArrowLeft)
Rotate right: PAGEDOWN key (or Ctrl +ArrowRight)
*With the GOG version the zoom has been much increased.
Q: MY GAME HAS BLACK BARS, DO I NEED TO CHANGE RESOLUTION TO GET A WIDESCREEN?
No. Unless you want to, of course. GOG version has 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768. Default is 800x600 with GOG version.
I got this issue, this is how to fix it:
➤ 1. Keep the highest resolution (1024x768), close your game and open your Windows search bar.
➤ 2. Type " %appdata% "
➤ 3. You are in a folder named Roaming, open the GOG folder.
➤ 4. Open the DungeonKeeper2 folder.
➤ 5. Open the config.ini - it reads:
[Video]
LowZBuffer=1
➤ 6. Modify text to:
[Video]
ScaleMode=0
With this done, you should get your game in widescreen! I played it in 1024x768, working as intended.
Q: HOW TO GET A EVEN HIGHER RESOLUTION?
Keep in mind that any resolution higher than 1024x768 will make all in-game texts disappear. If you decide to do so, make sure to have set good all your ingame options before.
Plus I do not recommend using an higher resolution, as it could make the game more unstable, leading up to get more crashes.
This is how to do it:
➤ 1. Open your Windows search bar and type " regedit "
➤ 2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\Configuration\Video
➤ 3. Change the values "Screen Width" and "Screen Height" to the values you want (be sure to click decimal).
Note: Higher dimensions would be 1600x1200 and 1920x1080.
Alternatively you could use DK2Tweaker, if you do not want to mess with the register edition.
PART ⅠⅠ - MOVEMENT, SPEED, SCROLLING ISSUES
Your game is so fast that you just received a speeding ticket? I got you.
Q: MY MOUSE IS TOO FAST, WHAT TO DO?
➤ 1. Dungeon Keeper 2 has an option to reduce scrolling speed - if you did so, ignore first step.
➤ 2. Open your Windows search bar and type " regedit "
➤ 3. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\Configuration\Player
default ScrollSped=5
➤ 4. Change " ScrollSped=5 " to " ScrollSped=1 " (be sure to click decimal)
Note: if 1 is too slow, you can change to 2.
Q: MY GAME IS OKAY BUT MY FIRST PERSON CAMERA IS SO JERKY AND I CAN'T MOVE PROPERLY, WHAT TO DO?
Somehow I found a fix, as I was experiencing crashes while quitting the Possession ability, along with ghost keys forcing my creature into walls. For the record, it was this issue that motivated me to write this topic.
First, the fix for the ghost entries of keys, causing you not to be able to move properly :
➤ 1. Launch the game and do ALT+TAB. (GOG Version supports Alt+Tabing)
➤ 2. Open your task manager and right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 2.1. Depends of your Windows, right click on your Dungeon Keeper 2 application and click " Access Details "
➤ 2.2. Now right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 3. Click on " Define priority " and try any higher priority.
Try different priorities if not successful on first attempt: I had to use " Above Normal " to get it just right ingame.
NOTE: You will have to do this everytime you launches Dungeon Keeper 2. It resets when the game is closed.
Your first person camera should be clear of any trouble now, fixed both mouse movements and keyboard movements.
Q: MY ENTIRE GAME IS SO LAGGY, IT FEELS LIKE A SLIDESHOW, WHAT TO DO?
You might be missing importants .dll, leading to this situation.
➤ 1. Download ddraw.dll + wndmode.dll + wndmode.ini from here (link not available)
➤ 2. Put those three in the root folder of your game, aside with the game launcher.
Your framerate should be restored and your game running smooth.
NOTE: GOG versions should not be affected by this issue.
PART ⅠⅠⅠ - CRASHES, POSSESSION CRASH
*Plays Casse-Noissette to ease your rage.*
Q: MY GAME KEEPS CRASHING, WHAT TO DO?
This part gets along with a previous issue seen above (the jerky first person camera).
➤ 1. Launch the game and do ALT+TAB. (GOG Version supports Alt+Tabing)
➤ 2. Open your task manager and right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 2.1. Depends of your Windows, right click on your Dungeon Keeper 2 application and click " Access Details "
➤ 2.2. Now right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 3. Click on " Define affinity " and check on the uppest checkbox, to let all your processors run " DKII-DX.exe "
NOTE: You will have to do this everytime you launches Dungeon Keeper 2. It resets when the game is closed.
With this much power and with your GOG Version, you should be fine.
PART Ⅳ - MISCELLANEOUS AND CHANGE LANGUAGE
Odds and ends.
Q: I'M TIRED OF GETTING MY EARDRUMS BURST BY THE BULLFROG LOGO EACH TIME I START THE GAME, WHAT TO DO?
Simple.
➤ 1. Right click your DK2 shortcut and click " Properties ".
➤ 2. At the end of Target line, add this commandline separated by a space " -nomovies".
Example: "C:\Games\Dungeon Keeper 2\DKII-DX.exe" -nomovies
Note: This commandline disable all cinematics. Ingame cinematics are not affected.
Q: HOW CAN I CHANGE THE LANGUAGE OF MY GAME?
GOG version only:
I recommend using the patch "Multilanguage Sound & Text Mod v1.1 for the GOG version" that you can find on Moddb.com.
It supports Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish & Swedish.
But beware, and i'm quoting: "the mod also includes the General Improvement Mod 1.05 by Wyrmcast. GIM restores part of the game to the 1.51 state, before the AI was destroyed by careless development."
If you prefer just getting the language patch, watch below.
All DK2 versions:
Pick the language you want in the list on Moddb.com.
A FEW MORE WORDS:
I hope this topic finds you well. And that it will be as useful for you as it would have been for me! If so, please post a comment, so others can be helped.
Unfortunately I was not able to put links in my post, but you should have enough clues to figure it out by yourself!
I feel like I owe you an apology: english is not my mere language, I tried my best.
I have finished DK2 today and got a lot of issues to make it run without constant crashes. During my research to fix the game, it seems that a lot of people are also having issues. So I decided to create this topic, in order to help others on the way.
I need to clarify: some bugs did not happened to me, who has a GOG version of the game (a lot of issues already fixed). I just want this thread to be the most helpful, who matters.
Here goes a list of issues and a way to fix those.
A QUICK WORD: PATCH IT!
If your Dungeon Keeper 2 copy is not already, patch it to v1.7.
GOG version players are not concerned, as it is already in v1.7.
PART Ⅰ - RESOLUTION ISSUES
"Big plans! Big! Big plans!"
Q: IT SEEMS THAT I'M TOO ZOOMED IN, HOW TO ZOOM OUT?
Not a bug, but a lot of people are confused so I put it here:
Dungeon Keeper 2 is an old game. Back in the days the memory of computers was very limited, that's why you are starting this close to your base.*
The controls for the camera are:
Zoom in : HOME key (or Ctrl + ArrowUp)
Zoom out : END key (or Ctrl + ArrowDown)
Rotate left : DELETE key (or Ctrl + ArrowLeft)
Rotate right: PAGEDOWN key (or Ctrl +ArrowRight)
*With the GOG version the zoom has been much increased.
Q: MY GAME HAS BLACK BARS, DO I NEED TO CHANGE RESOLUTION TO GET A WIDESCREEN?
No. Unless you want to, of course. GOG version has 640x480, 800x600 and 1024x768. Default is 800x600 with GOG version.
I got this issue, this is how to fix it:
➤ 1. Keep the highest resolution (1024x768), close your game and open your Windows search bar.
➤ 2. Type " %appdata% "
➤ 3. You are in a folder named Roaming, open the GOG folder.
➤ 4. Open the DungeonKeeper2 folder.
➤ 5. Open the config.ini - it reads:
[Video]
LowZBuffer=1
➤ 6. Modify text to:
[Video]
ScaleMode=0
With this done, you should get your game in widescreen! I played it in 1024x768, working as intended.
Q: HOW TO GET A EVEN HIGHER RESOLUTION?
Keep in mind that any resolution higher than 1024x768 will make all in-game texts disappear. If you decide to do so, make sure to have set good all your ingame options before.
Plus I do not recommend using an higher resolution, as it could make the game more unstable, leading up to get more crashes.
This is how to do it:
➤ 1. Open your Windows search bar and type " regedit "
➤ 2. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\Configuration\Video
➤ 3. Change the values "Screen Width" and "Screen Height" to the values you want (be sure to click decimal).
Note: Higher dimensions would be 1600x1200 and 1920x1080.
Alternatively you could use DK2Tweaker, if you do not want to mess with the register edition.
PART ⅠⅠ - MOVEMENT, SPEED, SCROLLING ISSUES
Your game is so fast that you just received a speeding ticket? I got you.
Q: MY MOUSE IS TOO FAST, WHAT TO DO?
➤ 1. Dungeon Keeper 2 has an option to reduce scrolling speed - if you did so, ignore first step.
➤ 2. Open your Windows search bar and type " regedit "
➤ 3. Navigate to: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\Configuration\Player
default ScrollSped=5
➤ 4. Change " ScrollSped=5 " to " ScrollSped=1 " (be sure to click decimal)
Note: if 1 is too slow, you can change to 2.
Q: MY GAME IS OKAY BUT MY FIRST PERSON CAMERA IS SO JERKY AND I CAN'T MOVE PROPERLY, WHAT TO DO?
Somehow I found a fix, as I was experiencing crashes while quitting the Possession ability, along with ghost keys forcing my creature into walls. For the record, it was this issue that motivated me to write this topic.
First, the fix for the ghost entries of keys, causing you not to be able to move properly :
➤ 1. Launch the game and do ALT+TAB. (GOG Version supports Alt+Tabing)
➤ 2. Open your task manager and right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 2.1. Depends of your Windows, right click on your Dungeon Keeper 2 application and click " Access Details "
➤ 2.2. Now right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 3. Click on " Define priority " and try any higher priority.
Try different priorities if not successful on first attempt: I had to use " Above Normal " to get it just right ingame.
NOTE: You will have to do this everytime you launches Dungeon Keeper 2. It resets when the game is closed.
Your first person camera should be clear of any trouble now, fixed both mouse movements and keyboard movements.
Q: MY ENTIRE GAME IS SO LAGGY, IT FEELS LIKE A SLIDESHOW, WHAT TO DO?
You might be missing importants .dll, leading to this situation.
➤ 1. Download ddraw.dll + wndmode.dll + wndmode.ini from here (link not available)
➤ 2. Put those three in the root folder of your game, aside with the game launcher.
Your framerate should be restored and your game running smooth.
NOTE: GOG versions should not be affected by this issue.
PART ⅠⅠⅠ - CRASHES, POSSESSION CRASH
*Plays Casse-Noissette to ease your rage.*
Q: MY GAME KEEPS CRASHING, WHAT TO DO?
This part gets along with a previous issue seen above (the jerky first person camera).
➤ 1. Launch the game and do ALT+TAB. (GOG Version supports Alt+Tabing)
➤ 2. Open your task manager and right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 2.1. Depends of your Windows, right click on your Dungeon Keeper 2 application and click " Access Details "
➤ 2.2. Now right click your Dungeon Keeper 2 executable.
➤ 3. Click on " Define affinity " and check on the uppest checkbox, to let all your processors run " DKII-DX.exe "
NOTE: You will have to do this everytime you launches Dungeon Keeper 2. It resets when the game is closed.
With this much power and with your GOG Version, you should be fine.
PART Ⅳ - MISCELLANEOUS AND CHANGE LANGUAGE
Odds and ends.
Q: I'M TIRED OF GETTING MY EARDRUMS BURST BY THE BULLFROG LOGO EACH TIME I START THE GAME, WHAT TO DO?
Simple.
➤ 1. Right click your DK2 shortcut and click " Properties ".
➤ 2. At the end of Target line, add this commandline separated by a space " -nomovies".
Example: "C:\Games\Dungeon Keeper 2\DKII-DX.exe" -nomovies
Note: This commandline disable all cinematics. Ingame cinematics are not affected.
Q: HOW CAN I CHANGE THE LANGUAGE OF MY GAME?
GOG version only:
I recommend using the patch "Multilanguage Sound & Text Mod v1.1 for the GOG version" that you can find on Moddb.com.
It supports Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish & Swedish.
But beware, and i'm quoting: "the mod also includes the General Improvement Mod 1.05 by Wyrmcast. GIM restores part of the game to the 1.51 state, before the AI was destroyed by careless development."
If you prefer just getting the language patch, watch below.
All DK2 versions:
Pick the language you want in the list on Moddb.com.
A FEW MORE WORDS:
I hope this topic finds you well. And that it will be as useful for you as it would have been for me! If so, please post a comment, so others can be helped.
Unfortunately I was not able to put links in my post, but you should have enough clues to figure it out by yourself!
I feel like I owe you an apology: english is not my mere language, I tried my best.
Post edited April 27, 2024 by NaughtyFrog_
