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A guide to running the Parsoft developed Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II sim, A-10 Cuba!, initially released in 1996 and published by Activision. The sim features a comprehensive physics based flight model, damage model and detailed cockpit at the time of release. Lacking the mission editing present in the Mac version, the Windows version is often considered the lesser release. However, the Windows version supports stick, throttle and rudder while the Mac version, requiring emulators to run on Windows, is restricted to stick only, making the Windows version a better flying experience on a Windows platform. Much of the weapon deployment is more manual in nature with less reliance on computerized systems making it very much a pilot's sim. Despite its age, the sim is relatively straightforward to get running under Win10. This guide will be dealing with the Windows version only, running the Mac version under emulation is not covered in this guide. Strategy Due to the 16-bit game and patch installer apps, installation requires a little more care. The initial v1.0 retail release should be installed and patched to the latest v1.2 version. The later Activision Essentials Collection re-release is already pre-patched to v1.2 and only requires installation. High resolution displays and A-10 Cuba menus also require some consideration. However most issues are minor and can be resolved easily. Ensuring documentation is accessible on Win10 will also be covered. Version and patch history Version and patching requires a little more care due to the different patching paths than can be taken to reach the recommended version. This guide will detail the patches available and the minimum amount of patching required to meet the recommended version. Initial retail release The initial retail release was published by Activision in 1996 as version 1.0. Distributed on a single CD-ROM it uses a 16-bit installer that is no longer compatible with Win10, requiring the use of the OTVDM tool. Version 1.0 to Version 1.0.1 patch The Version 1.0 to Version 1.0.1 patch seems to have been released in December 1996. This patch was released without release notes so it's not clear what was changed but due to the size and release date it may have been a bug fix patch. The patch is distributed as a zip archive containing a self-extracting archive or as a self-extracting archive only. The patch uses a 16-bit installer, so must be installed with the OTVDM tool. This is not a recommended patch as the Version 1.0 to Version 1.2 patch provides a simpler upgrade path. This patch is available from: Gamepressure Internet Archive A-10 Cuba! V1.0.1 Patch Version 1.0 to Version 1.2 patch The Version 1.0 to Version 1.2 patch seems to have been released in February 1997. This patch was released as a bug fix and enhancement patch. The release notes are included below: The patch is distributed as a zip archive containing a self-extracting archive. The patch uses a 16-bit installer, so must be installed with the OTVDM tool. This is a recommended patch for the initial retail release . This patch is available from: The Patches Scrolls Internet Archive A-10 Cuba! v1.2 Patch A-10 Cuba! Patches Version 1.0.1 to Version 1.2 patch The Version 1.0 to Version 1.0.1 patch seems to have been released in December 1996. The release notes are identical to the Version 1.0 to Version 1.2 patch. The patch is distributed as a zip archive containing a self-extracting archive. The patch uses a 16-bit installer, so must be installed with the OTVDM tool. This is not a recommended patch as the Version 1.0 to Version 1.2 patch provides a simpler upgrade path. This patch is available from: The Patches Scrolls Internet Archive A-10 Cuba! Patches Essentials Collection re-release The Essentials Collection re-release was published by Activision in 1996 pre-patched to version 1.2. Distributed on a single CD-ROM it uses a 16-bit installer that is no longer compatible with Win10, requiring the use of the OTVDM tool. As it is already pre-patched, no further patches are required, making it the preferred version to install. Patching strategy The recommended patching strategies to bring each release to version 1.2 are straightforward and shown below: Install initial retail release (v1.0) and apply Version 1.0 to Version 1.2 patch (v1.2). Install Essentials Collection re-release (v1.2), no further patching required. Retail media This guide assumes any physical cds will be ripped to an image file, to reduce wear and tear on media and drives. The retail version of A-10 Cuba! does not contain cd audio and can be ripped to a data only .iso format. At present there is no release of the game on digital platforms. Game management As a windows game running natively, the installation folder some limited game management is still useful for files used in the A-10 Cuba! setup. The installation folder and setup files for A-10 Cuba! and other Windows games can be found in the same folder (my own, as an example): D:\Games\Win\ D:\Games\Win\A-10 Cuba Setup The following setup folders can be used: cd - to store any cd images. conf - to store any HOTAS profile configuration files. docs - to store any useful documents, manuals, etc. patch - to store a copy of recommended patches/tools. Installation setup OTVDM, also known as WineVDM, is a port of the Wine project that allows you to run old 16-bit Windows applications on modern 64-bit Windows operating systems. This utility allows the installer app to run under WIn10. OTVDM also includes a winhlp32.exe utility, which allows opening old style Windows help files on 64-bit Windows, including the A-10 Cuba! help files, which acts as a manual. The latest version of OTVDM/WineVDM is v0.9.0 available from the WineVDM GitHub , found in Releases . As it is distributed as a zip file, installation only requires extracting the files to a suitable folder of your choosing. Installation & patching Installation folder The first step of installation is to create an A-10 Cuba! installation folder manually. It is done manually as the folder selection dialog used in setup process, has compatibility issues, so it can select a folder but not create one. The default folder name is preferred ( A-10Cuba ). For the remainder of this guide the following example installation folder is assumed: E:\A-10Cuba Installing with OTVDM The steps to install A-10 Cuba! using the OTVDM tool are: Mount the A-10 Cuba! CD or CD image in WIndows. From the OTVDM installation folder run the OTVDM tool ( otvdmw.exe ) and use it to open the A-10 Cuba! installer app ( setup.exe ) from the mounted CD/CD image. The setup will begin. Each step of the installation process is shown in the gallery below. This should be a straightforward process, when used in conjunction with the notes below: Registration is optional, so select Register Later . When checking System Requirements , any warnings can be ignored. When selecting an installation folder location, choose the manually created installation folder ( A-10Cuba folder). When asked to install DirectX 2 select No. It is important to choose correctly! Patching with OTVDM This step is only required when patching the initial retail release to v1.2. The Essentials Collection release is already pre-patch to v1.2 so this patching is not required. The steps are: If the Version 1.0 to Version 1.2 patch is distributed as a zip file (or other compressed archive file), unzip the contents to a folder of your choosing. From the OTVDM installation folder run the OTVDM tool ( otvdmw.exe ) and use it to open the patch executable. This may be named a10p1_2.exe , a10pfr_2.exe or similar. Patching should begin and complete successfully. Adding the DirectPlay library A missing dplay.dll library error A-10 Cuba requires the DirectPlay library, without it the following error is seen when the game is run (see screenshot). To add the library: Copy the dplayx.dll library from the following location into the A-10 Cuba! installation folder. C:\Windows\SysWOW64\ Rename this file (in the A-10 Cuba! installation folder) to dplay.dll . Wrapper utilities This guide uses the latest version of dgVoodoo2, version 2.86.5  (at time of writing). This can be obtained from the dgVoodoo2 GitHub repository  in Releases . To install: Download dgVoodoo2 ( dgVoodoo2_86_5.zip ) and extract to a new folder. Copy the following dgVoodoo2 files to the A-10 Cuba! installation folder. Note : the paths are not important you just need to add the files: dgVoodooCpl.exe MS\x86\D3D8.dll MS\x86\D3D9.dll MS\x86\D3DImm.dll MS\x86\DDraw.dll Download and extract the dgVoodoo.conf  in the below zip file, to the A-10 Cuba! installation folder: HOTAS config Joystick, throttle and rudder pedals are supported. Configuring axes may not be required if your HOTAS has 4 axes or less. When using devices totaling more than 4 axes, a virtual controller  can be used, limited to 4 axes. For those using controllers from multiple vendors, the vJoy/Joystick Gremlin/HidHide  combination may be required instead of vendor specific HOTAS profile software. The vJoy/Joystick Gremlin/HidHide examples  may help in configuring your HOTAS. The physical axes to Windows axes were configured as follows: Physical axis Windows axis Joystick x-axis DX_X_AXIS Joystick y-axis DX_Y_AXIS Throttle DX_Z_AXIS Rudder DX_ZROT_AXIS Running When running A-10 Cuba! the menus are displayed in a dialog box style, with the Windows desktop visible in the background. With modern high resolution displays this may result in very small menus that are difficult to read. The flight engine runs at a maximum resolution of 1024 x 768 (a 4:3 aspect ratio) which is taken care of by dgVoodoo2, however the menus remain unchanged due to the dialog box style. Before playing, it is recommended to lower the monitor resolution to a resolution with the same aspect ratio as your monitors native aspect ratio (this would normally be 16:9 for a standard widescreen monitor) and at a resolution higher than 1024 x 768 . This will result in readable menus and a flight engine running in the correct aspect ratio. For example, a 4K monitor running at the native resolution of 3840 x 2160 has a 16:9 aspect ratio. A 16:9 resolutions higher than 1024 x 768 includes 1600 x 900 or 1920 x 1080 . Using Playnite (a game library manager) and the Display Helper plugin or switching the resolution manually, results in a lower resolution with readable menus and a flight engine running in the correct 4:3 aspect ratio thanks to dgVoodoo2. Configuration There are a number of in-game configuration settings that can be optimised for a modern Win10 platform. The following are recommended settings available in the in-game preferences: Combat : Additional realism settings are set, and invulnerability settings are disabled, but this should be set to personal preferences. Graphics :: All settings are maximised and enabled except for Snap VIew, allowing the internal cockpit view to scroll rather than snap. Sound : All settings are enabled. Controls : A joystick is set, other settings may depend on the HOTAS hardware being used. Advanced Settings : The Network, Prediction setting can be reduced to the minimum 1.5s ( 15 ). The Misc, Joystick Queue can be reduced to a minimum ( 1 ), to increase joystick response. Documentation It is recommended to store copies of the documentation listed below in the game management, docs folder. The following additional documents may be useful: A-10 Attack! Instruction Manual, pdf download. Macintosh Repository , A-10 Attack! , manual-10.pdf A-10 Attack! uses the same flight engine as A-10 Cuba! much of the advice remains relevant. A-10 Attack! Unofficial Demo Manual v1.2, Tim van der Leeuw & Maury Markowitz, pdf download. Steve's HOG HEAVEN , The Unofficial A-10 Attack Demo Manual Unofficial manual for the A-10 Attack! demo. Techniques discussed are applicable to A-10 Cuba! The A-10 Attack! FAQ Version 1.6, Petteri Sulonen, text file. GameFAQs , A-10 Attack! , Guides , FAQ. Much of the advice remains relevant to A-10 Cuba! An A-10 Attack! primer Version 1.0.1, Petteri Sulonen, text file. GameFAQs , A-10 Attack! , Guides , Primer. Much of the advice remains relevant to A-10 Cuba! Help files The Windows version uses legacy help ( .hlp ) files as documentation. Win10 no longer supports these help files. The OTVDM tool includes a Windows help tool ( winhelp32.exe ) which displays legacy help files. The recommended course of action is to: Copy the Windows help tool ( winhelp32.exe ) from the OTVDM installation folder into the A-10 Cuba! installation folder. Create a shortcut from winhelp32.exe and edit the shortcut properties. Add the help.hlp file as an parameter to the Target field, so it reads: E:\A-10Cuba\winhlp32.exe help.hlp Opening this shortcut will now display the A-10 Cuba! help documentation. There are other help files ( game.hlp , vendor.hlp and win95net.hlp ) but only help.hlp requires a shortcut as the other files are accessible from help.hlp. This shortcut can be left in the A-10 Cuba! installation folder, copied or moved onto the desktop or into the game management docs folder. Example video A-10 Cuba! running under Win10 Finally... Credit and thanks go to: Gamepressure, The Patches Scrolls and the Internet Archive for hosting patches. Otya for the OTVDM and WIndows help utilities. VOGONS member bringitback for the DirectPlay library advice. dege for dgVoodoo2. Macintosh Repository for hosting the A-10 Attack! manual. Tim van der Leeuw & Maury Markowitz for the A-10 Attack! Unofficial Demo Manual v1.2 and to Steve Russillo for hosting it at Steve's HOG HEAVEN. Petteri Sulonen for the The A-10 Attack! FAQ and Primer and to GameFAQs for hosting them. Good Hunting!

This is a guide to running the 1995 Digital Integration sim Apache (also called Apache Longbow) with the DOS version running in DOSBox Staging and Windows 95 3Dfx version in native Windows 10. The Windows 95 non-3Dfx/software rendered version will be omitted as it provides no additional enhancements over the DOS version but exhibits some speed sensitivity with the flight model running far too quickly on modern hardware. During the testing of various DOSBox options and wrappers for the Windows version, what became apparent were issues with the sound components of Apache. These issues affect both the DOSBox and Windows versions and would also affect joystick handling and often cause the game to crash or hang. Update 7 March 2026 : The final DOS patch has been found and added to the guide. Affected sections of this guide have been updated. A brief release & patch history It's useful to take a look at the version and patch history to help identify the release of the game you may have and the patches appropriate to each release. All patches are available from the Apache (Longbow) patch collection hosted on the Internet Archive for preservation purposes. Alternatively the 3dfx Voodoo related game patches page has the 3Dfx patches at soggi.org . Credit and thanks to soggi for hosting these patches. Original release (August 1995) Apache title screen The original release occurred around August 1995 and came on a single cd (as would later releases). It is a DOS only game with Win95 support. When starting the game the version (based on the time and date) is 09:52:23 Aug 11 1995. There is a single game executable, confusing called apache95.exe which runs this DOS version. The original title screen is shown with this version. October 1995 patch A patch was released in October 1995. It is a file replacement patch, replacing the apache95.exe file. The version changes to 10:50:46 Oct 03 1995. This patch is only applicable to the Original 1995 release. The patch was not distributed with a readme file so it isn't clear what this patch fixes, but it assumed to be a bug fix patch. It is not recommended due to the later Release 2 patch. Release 2 patch (December 1995) The Release 2 patch was available in December 1995. It is a file replacement patch, run with an update app, replacing the apache95.exe file and a mission data file. The version changes to 21:00:37 Nov 28 1995. This patch is only applicable to earlier versions (above). This patch introduces command line options to fix joystick/sound issues and to change the orientation of the throttle/collective (see Command line options). Apache Longbow release (v2.0, September 1996) Apache Longbow title screen The Apache Longbow release occurred in September 1996. This release includes both DOS and Win95 installer apps. The DOS version changes to 09:19:24 Sep 06 1996. This is the first version of Apache to support Win95 and to use the new title screen using the changed name Apache Longbow. Some retail media would also be labelled as Apache Longbow v2.0. The Win95 installer app is a 32-bit app that can be used in later versions of Windows including Win10. This release may have introduced a bug which causes the mouse pointer to disappear after using the in-game manual, but this doesn't seem to occur under DOSBox Staging. Interactive Magic US re-release (September 1996) This release occurred around September 1996. It includes both DOS and Win95 installers, the Win95 installer being another 32-bit app. The DOS version changes to 03:06:59 Sep 18 1996. Despite it being a later release it uses the original Apache title screen. The in-game manual/mouse pointer bug seems to be fixed in this release. Update: DOS Update Patch (September 1996) The final patch for the DOS versions only. The DOS version changes to 03:06:59 Sep 18 1996, making it identical to the Interactive Magic US re-release and Twin Pack: Hind / Apache Longbow release. This patch provides compatibility with Hind for head-to-head multiplayer. It is also a cumulative patch including changes from all earlier patches. Twin Pack: Hind / Apache Longbow (1997) A Digital Integration compilation release featuring Apache Longbow and Hind. The Apache Longbow version is identical to the Apache Longbow release (September 1996). The Win95 installer is a 32-bit app. 3Dfx Voodoo 1 patch (March 1998) The 3Dfx Voodoo 1 patch adds 3Dfx Voodoo 1 support and is only applicable to the Win95 version of Apache, there are no DOS versions that support a 3Dfx Voodoo card. The patch was released in March 1998 and should only be used with the Apache Longbow release from September '96. It should not be used with the Sold Out Software re-release. The patch is in two parts the Apache Voodoo 1 patch and a set of common files that should be extracted to the same patch folder before the installer app is run. The patch uses a 32-bit installer app but fails to run under Win10, even with compatibility options set. To install the patch the Apache installation folder and patch folder can be copied to a PCem Pentium 2 virtual machine with a Voodoo 1 and running Win98SE. The patch can be applied successfully and then copied back to the host Win10 machine. Sold Out Software re-release (April 1998) The Sold Out Software 1998 re-release has all three versions of Apache available at the time: DOS version. Win95 version. Win95 version with 3Dfx Voodoo 1 support. The DOS version is increased to 14:45:09 Jan 12 1998 and is, as far as is known, the final DOS version. The Sold Out Software Win95 installer is a 16-bit installer so requires the use of the otvdm utility to support 16-bit apps and install correctly. The Win95 installer gives the choice of software rendered or 3Dfx install options. Due to the comprehensive install options this is the recommended release to obtain. 3Dfx Voodoo 2 upgrade patch (June 1998) Released in June 1998, this is the final official patch from Digital Integration. The patch adds support for the 3Dfx Voodoo 2 card. The patch can be used with Win95 versions patched with Voodoo 1 support or the Sold Out Software re-release Win95 3Dfx version. This patch is a file replacement patch replacing the apache95.exe file with a new version. In addition it also seems to introduce better speed determination as this version does not exhibit the speed sensitivity of the earlier Win95 version. This patch is recommended for both Win95 versions patched with Voodoo 1 support and the Sold Out Software Win95 3Dfx version. Digital Integration European re-release (October 2000) Released in October 2000, this is, as far as I'm aware, the final physical retail release of Apache Longbow. The release is similar to the Soft Out Software re-release but without the manual in pdf format or the Sold Out Software installer app. The DOS version is 14:45:09 Jan 12 1998, the final DOS version. It includes the Win95 version with both software renderer and 3Dfx acceleration. The Win95 installer is a 16-bit app and will require the use of otvdm. The 3Dfx Voodoo 2 upgrade patch is a recommended patch for this re-release. Digital releases I don't own a digital release of Apache so much of this is educated guesswork. From what I understand the gog.com and ZOOM Platform digital releases are DOS versions only. The gog.com digital release is version 09:19:24 Sep 06 1996 which makes it identical to Apache Longbow release (September 1996). This means there are no DOS patches to apply. Thanks go to damson for providing the version. The in-game manual key has been disabled in the DOSBox config in this digital release to prevent the mouse pointer bug from occurring. Media Due to the age or the media and the drives required to read the media, it is recommended to rip cd-rom media to image files, to save wear and tear on media and the mechanical drives. The cd-rom can be ripped to a data only .iso image format as there is no cd audio on the cd. Game management It is recommended to use my DOSBox game management  strategy or similar strategy you may have developed. The recommended game management folders are: cd - to store the cd image. conf - to store any DOSBox or HOTAS configuration files. hdd - the folder use as the emulated DOSBox hard disk. patches - to store any patches. The Windows version uses the following installation folder: :\Games\Win\Apache And the following game management folder: :\Games\Win\Apache Longbow Setup And the following sub-folders: cd - to store the cd image conf - to store any HOTAS configuration files. patches - to store any patches. HOTAS config Joystick, throttle and rudder pedals are supported. Configuring axes may not be required if your HOTAS has 4 axes or less. When using a combination of devices totaling more than 4 axes, a virtual controller  can be configured (with vendor software or Joystick Gremlin), limited to 4 axes. The physical axes to Windows axes were configured as follows: Physical axis Windows axis (DOS) Windows axis (Win95) Joystick x-axis DX_X_AXIS DX_X_AXIS Joystick y-axis DX_Y_AXIS DX_Y_AXIS Throttle DX_Z_AXIS DX_Z_AXIS Rudder DX_XROT_AXIS DX_ZROT_AXIS DOS version This guide assumes the Sold Out Software, April 1998 re-release will be used. The following DOS versions should be patched as follows: Original release and Release 2 patch. Apache Longbow release only, no further patches required. Sold Out Software re-release only, no further patches required. Update : With the addition of the final DOS patch, the recommended patches for the DOS versions change as follows: Original release and DOS Update Patch (version 03:06:59 Sep 18 1996). Apache Longbow release and DOS Update Patch (version 03:06:59 Sep 18 1996). DOSBox config This guide assumes the latest version of DOSBox Staging v0.82.1. This config only details the changes from the default configuration. The changes are as follows: [sdl] host_rate = vrr vsync = off presentation_mode = vfr [dosbox] memsize = 32 dos_rate = 1000 [cpu] cpu_cycles_protected = 200000 cycleup = 1000 cycledown = 1000 [voodoo] voodoo = false [mouse] dos_mouse_immediate = true [mixer] reverb = medium chorus = normal [joystick] joysticktype = 4axis timed = false swap34 = true deadzone = 0 [autoexec] mount c "D:\Games\Dos\Apache Longbow\hdd" imgmount d "D:\Games\Dos\Apache Longbow\cd\apache.iso" -t cdrom c: # cd di\apache # apache # exit The [sdl], [dosbox] and [mouse] settings are suitable for high frame rate gaming as described in this article  by Omniclyde. These settings aren't strictly required and can be omitted to use the default settings. The [dosbox] memsize and [cpu] cpu_cycles_protected settings are discussed in this SimHQ forum post . Credit and thanks to damson for discovering these settings. The cyclesup/cyclesdown settings are changed to an appropriate increment. The cpu_cycles_protected is set to a suitably high 200000. Thanks go to damson for providing a suitable cycles setting. Voodoo emulation isn't required and can be disabled. The [mixer] settings enhance the music and audio. They are a personal preference and can be adjusted as desired. In the [joystick] section, the [joysticktype], [timed] and [swap34] are suitable settings for my HOTAS (TM Warthog), however you may need to adjust these for your own joystick or HOTAS. [deadzone] is a personal preference and should be adjusted as desired. The [autoexec] section mounts the hdd folder as the c: drive. The imgmount command mounts a cd-rom image as the d: drive. The disabled commands will change to the appropriate folder and run the game. The exit command will close DOSBox when the game is quit. Once installation and patching is complete these commands can be enabled. Gravis UltraSound If you wish to try an alternative sound card, Apache supports the Gravis UltraSound, to configure a GUS card the settings are changed as follows: [sblaster] sbtype = none [gus] gus = true The sbtype is set to none to disable SoundBlaster emulation. The gus setting is set to true to enable GUS emulation. The remaining [gus] settings are appropriate to leave as defaults. Installation The GUS sound card requires the GUS drivers to be added to a c:\ultrasnd folder. The easiest way of obtaining these drivers is to use a pre-installed folder. Fortunately VOGONS member K.A.R.R. has created suitable folders that can be found in the ' Gravis Ultrasound Driver Package ' post. Alternatively VOGONS member Rincewind42 has also hosted the Gravis UltraSound DOS Driver Package at the Internet Archive. Credit and thanks to K.A.R.R. and Rincewind42 for creating this package and providing an alternate hosting location. There are two archives suitable for DOSBox Staging use: ULTRASND411.zip contains preinstalled gravis ultrasound driver 4.11 (latest version). ULTRASNDPPL161FIX.zip contains preinstalled gravis ultrasound driver 4.11 with pro patches lite 1.61 and anti loop fix. Either are suitable and I haven't been able to detect any difference in audio quality. The installation process is the same for both zip files, extract the contents into the hdd folder to create a c:\ultrasnd folder and complete GUS installation. Installation All DOS versions should be installed from within DOSBox using the DOS installer app ( install.exe ) from the cd. The only installation option is the install size which should be set to maximum. There are no graphics or sound options to set. The installer should complete without issue. Patching The only recommended patch is the Release 2 patch which should only be applied to the original 1995 release. The zip file should be extracted to the hdd folder and the update utility ( update.bat ) should be run from within DOSBox. The update utility should complete without issue. Once installation/patching is complete, the disabled [autoexec] commands in the DOSBox config can be enabled. Update : With the addition of the final DOS patch, the recommended patching steps for the DOS versions change as follows: The DOS Update Patch is distributed as a zip archive, which must be unzipped to an appropriate DOSBox folder. One of the files is a self-extracting archive which will create updated files. These updated files are used to replace existing files in the Apache installation folder manually. Create a patch folder (e.g. PATCH ) under the DOSBox hard disk folder. An example folder in Windows could be: D:\Games\DOS\Apache\hdd\PATCH In DOSBox this folder becomes: C:\PATCH Unzip the contents of the DOS Update Patch into this folder, the following files should be created: PATCH.EXE README.TXT The release notes explain the patch installation process also described in the next steps. The next step is to start DOSBox and extract the contents of the patch from the self extracting archive: In DOSBox go to the PATCH folder and run the following command: PATCH -d The following files/folders should be extracted from the self-extracting archive: APACHE.EXE BDDATA (folder) MISSDATA (folder) The last step is to apply the patch, it may be easier to perform this step from Windows rather than from DOSBox: Remove the following files from the Apache installation folder (if they exist): APACHE.BAT APACHE95.EXE Copy the updated files/folders ( APACHE.EXE, BDDATA, MISSDATA ) into the Apache installation folder replacing any existing files as required (there are a lot of files to replace). This completes the patching process. Running Earlier versions of Apache can be run with the apache95.exe or the apache.bat file. The Sold Out Software release is run with the apache.exe file. Update : The DOS Update patching process removes the apache95.exe  and apache.bat  files from earlier versions. The game is now run with apache.exe . Command line options The Release 2 patch introduced command line options, from the patch readme: 1. If you are experiencing problems calibrating your Joystick with a Multi-Speed Games Card or Sound card difficulties try running Apache thus :- Apache /Jx Where x is a machine dependent variable ranging from 1 to 10000. If the problem persists try running with /J0 2. The Throttle stick control may be reversed by running thus :- Apache /Qx Where x is either 1 or 0 depending on required orientation. /Q0 will swap the collective axis where pushing forward will increase collective and pulling back will reduce collective. /Q1 will use a 'helicopter like' collective, where pushing forward reduces collective and pulling back increases collective. This is the default. Win95 version The Win95 version is only available with the Apache Longbow release (September 1996) or the Sold Out Software re-release (April 1998). At present there are no patches or mods to add Win95 support to earlier DOS only releases. The recommended patching strategy, after installation, is as follows: Apache Longbow release (September 1996): Apply 3Dfx Voodoo 1 patch (March 1998) Apply 3Dfx Voodoo 2 upgrade patch (June 1998) Sold Out Software re-release (April 1998) 3Dfx install: Apply 3Dfx Voodoo 2 upgrade patch (June 1998) The Apache Longbow release has a simple installation process, with a more involved patching process while the Sold Out Software re-release has a more involved installation process but a far simpler patching process. Installation The cd or cd image needs to be mounted under Win10. The .iso image format is supported natively by Win10, but cue/bin image pairs may require 3rd party tools like DAEMON Tools or WinCDEmu to mount the image. The Apache Longbow release uses a 32-bit installer app, ( setup.exe ) on the cd/cd image. The installer should run without issue under Win10. However, when asked to install DirectX components reply no or cancel the install. This occurs after files have been copied, which is the important part of the install. Sold Out Software installation The Sold Out Software re-release rather strangely uses an earlier 16-bit installer app which is not supported by Win10. A recommended solution is to use winevdm/otvdm a tool to provide 16-bit app support on 64-bit Windows. The winevdm/otvdm utilities are available at the winevdm GitHub repository , with the latest version (v.0.9.0 at time of writing) available on the releases page . Credit and thanks to otya for providing this amazingly useful and easy to use tool. The process is to: Download the latest version ( otvdm-v0.9.0.zip ) and extract to a folder, (maybe a sub-folder under the Apache Longbow Setup folder if you have one, see Game management ). Mount the cd image under Win10. Run the otvdmw.exe utility and navigate to your mounted cd image and open the setup.exe installer app. Note : there is a Setup95.exe app, but this is a Sold Out Software app which allows Acrobat reader to be installed before running setup.exe. Installation should run successfully, select no or cancel the installation when asked to install DirectX components .This occurs after files have been copied, which is the important part of the install. Patching This section covers patching with the two 3Dfx Voodoo patches, which are the only patches that should be used with Win95 versions of Apache. 3Dfx Voodoo 1 patch (March 1998) Applying this patch is a bit involved as it uses a 32-bit installer and can run in Win10 but not successfully. Tests with various compatibility options have also failed. Therefore the rather involved approach is to create a PCem virtual machine, copy the Apache installation and patches folders to the virtual machine, apply the patch and then copy the Apache installation folder back into Win10. I've often suggested in other articles to keep a copy of a newly created PCem or 86Box virtual machine, so it can be reused for other games or purposes and this is exactly the kind of scenario where having a copy can save huge amounts of time and effort. As long as you have a PCem or 86Box virtual machine with a .vhd virtual hard disk image and running Win95, Win98 or Win98SE then you should be fine. If you don't have a suitable PCem or 86Box virtual machine then I can highly recommend this YouTube video, ' PCem Windows 98 Setup (Pentium II +Voodoo 3, all files provided) ' from PhilsComputerLab. Once again, huge thanks to Phil for creating this very useful video. Once created, keep a copy you never know when it may be useful to have a Win988 virtual machine for retro games! To apply the patch: Download and extract the patch ( Apache-Longbow_3dfx.zip ) to a new folder (maybe a new sub-folder under the Apache Longbow Setup folder if you have one, see Game management ). Download and extract the common files ( common_files.zip ) to the same folder. Shutdown the PCem/86Box virtual machine, if it is running. Mount the virtual hard disk (.vhd) file in Win10. Copy the Apache installation folder and patch folder to the virtual hard disk. Eject the virtual hard disk and run up the PCem/86Box virtual machine. Run the patch installer ( setup.exe ) from the patch folder. The installer should search for and find the Apache installation folder and apply the patch. Once complete there should be a new apache_3dfx.exe file in the Apache installation folder. Shutdown the virtual machine and mount the virtual hard disk (.vhd) file in Win10. Replace the Apache installation folder in Win10 with the installation folder from the virtual hard disk, overwriting any files as required. That concludes applying the 3Dfx Voodoo 1 patch. 3Dfx Voodoo 2 upgrade patch (June 1998) As this patch is a file replacement patch the process is far simpler. To apply the patch: Download and extract the patch ( Apache-Longbow_3dfxV2.zip ) to a new folder (maybe a new sub-folder under the Apache Longbow Setup folder if you have one, see Game management ). Replace the apache95.exe file in the Apache installation folder with this new patch version. That concludes applying the 3Dfx Voodoo 2 upgrade patch. Wrapper configuration Getting the Win95 version of Apache is going to take the use of a few DirectX and Glide wrappers, so let's begin... DxWrapper DxWrapper is used to wrap the DirectSound components. This is particularly important given the issues the game has with sound. The latest version ( v1.3.7700.25 ) should be used and is available from the DxWrapper GitHub repository releases . Credit and huge thanks to Elisha for the continuing work on DxWrapper. To install: Download and extract DxWrapper ( dxwrapper.zip ) to a new folder. Copy the following DxWrapper files to the Apache installation folder. Note : the Stub path is not important you just need to add the dsound.dll file: Stub\dsound.dll dxwrapper.dll Download and extract the dxwrapper.ini in the below zip file, to the Apache installation folder: This concludes the DxWrapper config. dgVoodoo2 The dgVoodoo2 wrapper is used to wrap both DirectX and Glide components. The version used is dgVoodoo v2.86.1 . It is available from the dgVoodoo2 GitHub repository releases . Once again credit and huge thanks to dege for the continuing work on dgVoodoo2. To install: Download dgVoodoo2 ( dgVoodoo2_86_1.zip ) and extract to a new folder. Copy the following dgVoodoo2 files to the Apache installation folder. Note : the paths are not important you just need to add the files: dgVoodooCpl.exe 3Dfx\x86\Glide.dll 3Dfx\x86\Glide2x.dll 3Dfx\x86\Glide3x.dll MS\x86\D3D8.dll MS\x86\D3D9.dll MS\x86\D3DImm.dll MS\x86\DDraw.dll Download and extract the dgVoodoo.conf in the below zip file, to the Apache installation folder: Note: you will probably need to open dgVoodooCpl.exe and: In the General section change the adapters to use . In the Glide section change the resolution to a suitable setting for your setup. In the Glide section the watermark is turned on for testing purposes, once confirmed working it can be turned off. The following screenshot shows the dgVoodoo2 settings: dgVoodoo2 settings This concludes the dgVoodoo2 config. Game configuration The final step is the in-game configuration accessed from the Preferences menu option on the initial menu screen. The configuration options and suggested settings are slightly different for DOS and Win95 versions. DOS version DOS preferences The DOS preferences have a full set of configuration options as shown in the screenshot. Here are some points to note: The Visual Detail can be increased to maximum , with the Screen Mode set to 640x480 . Speech and Music can be enabled and Effects can be set to Full . If you chose a Gravis UltraSound in the DOSBox config, you'll have to set the sound card settings to be identical to the DOSBox settings, as shown in the screenshot. If you left the DOSBox settings as the default (SoundBlaster 16) then the sound/music should work and it should auto-detect the settings. It may not due to the speed sensitivity of the auto-detection component, however 200000 cycles in the DOSBox config may allow it to work for some/most machines. Thanks go to damson for providing sound card info. If settings are not auto-detected, you should to able to set them manually using the same settings as the default DOSBox config: Card: SoundBlaster 16 Address: 220 Interrupt: 7 DMA: 1 If this causes the game to hang or crash, they can be added manually to the prefs.cfg file, which is a text file. Add the following lines in bold : ... Collective control=6 Sound DMA=1 Sound Address=544 Sound IRQ=7 Sound Card=4 Sound effects level=0 Sound Speech=0 Sound effects=1 Sound music=1 UI Continuous Move=1 ... The control settings are appropriate for my 4-axis virtual controller, combining stick, throttle and pedals. This means the hat is not enabled (I set the hat with the HOTAS profiling software). If you don't have pedals you may wish to experiment with a DOSBox joysticktype of fcs or ch , both of which are supported by Apache as the Thrustmaster FCS and Flightstick Pro options. After making a control change, re-calibrate each axis by moving it to the extremes. Win95 version Win95 preferences The Win95 preferences have a limited set of configuration options as shown in the screenshot. Here are some points to note: With the 3D accelerated version visual detail is maximised and settings are not required. Sound card settings are not required. The control settings are appropriate for my 4-axis virtual controller, combining stick, throttle and pedals. The Flightstick Pro option allows the use of hat with my HOTAS, you may wish to test options to find the optimum setting. After making a control change, re-calibrate each axis by moving it to the extremes. Running Before starting the Win95 version of Apache, make sure the cd/cd image is mounted otherwise you'll be taken to the head-to-head setup menu. When run for the first time, the Preferences menu will be presented immediately. When leaving the Preferences menu you'll be taken straight to the Quickstart mission allowing the controller options to be tested. Documentation In-game manual The Sold Out Software re-release has a copy of the manual in pdf format. It can be found on the cd (not in the manual folder, confusingly) but in the manparts folder. In-game manual A rather useful facility offered by Apache is the ability to bring up a copy of the manual at any time, on menu screens or during flight, with the < F1> key. At the rear of the manual is the key reference! This in-game manual is disabled in the gog.com release, due to a bug in this version which causes the mouse pointer to disappear after accessing the manual. Testing 'shot down' The following testing was not successful, so to save others from repeating these attempts they are listed below. ReShade ReShade v6.5.1 was tested, however the UI was very limited/non-functional. The UI could eventually be accessed, however the mouse was non-functional as were the keyboard shortcuts. So ReShade is not recommended. Anti-aliasing Forcing anti-aliasing through vendor software (Nvidia in my case) resulted in ugly text on menu screens without major improvements in flight. It looks like the Digital Integration developers optimised the SVGA in this game, so anti-aliasing is not recommended. Further Information There aren't any dedicated resources for Apache, but the following may still be of interest: gog.com Apache Longbow forum . Steam are planning an Apache Longbow release in Q3 2025. Will they do a better job than I have? PixelWings is possibly working on a set of mods for Apache Longbow. Nothing has been announced so far, but check the website and the YouTube channel ! Apache in DOSBox Staging Win95 3Dfx version running in Win10 Good hunting!

A guide to running the NovaLogic 1998 sim, MiG-29 Fulcrum. This guide will be running the sim natively under Win10 and although untested, it is hoped this strategy will increase compatibility on Win11 platforms. This guide will be installing the base game and the Integrated Battle Space (IBS) multiplayer app as it also includes the Fixed Wing Mission Editor. Although run on Win10, the game is patched using a PCem virtual machine. Strategy Installing and running the game under Win10 works well, however the patch cannot be applied on a WIn10 platform. To create the most recent patched version of MiG-29 involves: Installing the base game and IBS aoo (which includes the mission editor) under Win10 to create any necessary registry entries. Installing the base game under a PCem Win98 Second Edition virtual machine. Patching the game in the virtual machine, as the patch fails to work under Win10. Moving the installation folder from PCem onto Win10. Version and patch history The initial release was in 1998 on a single CD-ROM. THe game uses a 32-bit installer making it compatible with Win10. Not only was the base game included but a multiplayer capability with Novaworld and Integrated Battle Space (IBS) which allowed a number of different NovaLogic sims to be played against each other. The FIxed Wing Mission Editor was also included. These apps also use a 32-bit installer. MiG-29 Update patch Released on the 23 June 1999 this patch was described as an IBS update which made changes to the base and multiplayer game. This was primarily an enhancement patch increasing support for more hardware, and multiplayer facilities. The patch uses a 32-bit installer which can run under Win10, however, the patch fails to install correctly under WIn10 and must be installed on a appropriate earlier Windows 98 virtual machine. From the release notes: Cheat code capabilities during multiplayer have been addressed. The update provides additional 3-D support for some video cards. Side passwords have been included for some multiplayer games as well. The update also provides public and private NovaWorld hosting capabilities, allowing users to join other user-hosted games through NovaWorld. The update also modifies the flight model and air-speed information to provide more realistic aircraft performance. The game will now support force-feedback joysticks, 16-button joysticks, simultaneously connected joysticks, multiple hat-switch joysticks, and other additional joystick capabilities. This is a recommended patch, it is available from: Internet Archive (archive of the NovaLogic FTP site). NovaLogic (http download only). PCGamingWiki . Retail media This guide assumes any physical cds will be ripped to an image file, to reduce wear and tear on media and drives. The retail version of MiG-29 does not contain cd audio and can be ripped to a data only .iso format. MiG-29 is available from Steam . Game management As a windows game running natively, the installation folder will be created by the MiG-29 installer. However some limited game management is still useful for files used in the MiG-29 setup. The installation folder and setup files for MiG-29 and other Windows games can be found in the same folder (my own, as an example): D:\Games\Win\ D:\Games\Win\MiG-29 Fulcrum Setup The following setup folders can be used: cd - to store any cd images. conf - to store any HOTAS profile configuration files. docs - to store any useful documents, manuals, etc. patch - to store a copy of recommended patches. Installation & patching Windows 10 installation The retail version uses a 32-bit installer which is WIn10 compatible and will install without issue. There are only two choices to be made, the destination installation folder and a large or small install, the large install should be selected. The purpose of this install is to ensure any registry entries are set correctly. Immediately following the base game installation, the Integrated Battle Space (IBS) installation will begin. The only choice is the destination installation folder. This must be different to the folder chosen for the base game install. PCem virtual machine If you're completely new to setting up PCem or need a refresher, I highly recommend the excellent YouTube tutorial video by PhilsComputerLab, PCem Windows 98 Setup . The virtual hard disk should be created as a .vhd file as this file type can be mounted in Win10, making it easier to transfer files. Once you have a basic, clean Windows 98 virtual machine and hard disk image, I recommend: Taking a copy of the basic virtual machine to create a game specific virtual machine. Taking a copy of the basic hard disk image to create a game specific image. Use PCem and reconfigure the game specific virtual machine to use the game specific hard disk image. If things go badly wrong, you'll always have the basic image to try again with and it'll save a lot of time and effort if you ever want to try a different game with PCem. Note: Earlier articles have recommended keeping a clean version of the virtual machine and virtual hard disk for future use. Using a copy of an existing 'clean' virtual machine to install and patch MiG-29 is an ideal use case, saving time and effort. PCem virtual machine installation Start by mounting the CD/CD image in the PCem virtual machine. Installing both the base game and IBS app is exactly the same as installing under Win10. Both the base game and IBS will install without issue. This provides the installation that will be patched with the one and only patch. PCem virtual machine patching The first step is to download the recommended MiG-29 patch and copy it onto the PCem virtual hard disk, to do so: If the PCem virtual machine is running, shut it down and exit PCem. Mount the virtual hard disk ( .vhd ) file in Win10. Copy the patch onto the virtual hard disk. Eject the mount virtual hard disk. Start the PCem virtual machine. When the patch is run it should find the MiG-29 installation folder and apply the patch, once complete you should see the licence agreement dialog, as shown below: Copying the installation folder Now we have a fully patched version of MiG-29 on the PCem virtual hard disk. We just need to copy this folder back into Win10, to do so: If the PCem virtual machine is running, shut it down and exit PCem. Mount the virtual hard disk ( .vhd ) file in Win10. Copy the MiG-29 installation folder from the mounted hard disk and use it to replace the existing MiG-29 installation folder created under Win10, replacing any files as required. Once complete eject the PCem virtual hard disk, it is no longer required. Note : Only the MiG-29 installation folder needs to be copied, as the IBS installation folder won't be used. Windows 10 configuration During MiG-29 installation, a M29.CD file is created, it contains the CD-ROM drive letter, which allows the game to know where the CD is located. When installed in the PCem virtual machine, this will be the PCem virtual CD-ROM drive letter (probably D: ). The contents of this file should be changed to the drive used in Win10 when the MiG-29 CD or CD image is mounted. As an example when I mount the CD image it becomes the F: drive. Wrapper utilities MiG-29 uses 3Dfx/Glide technology and requires a suitable Glide wrapper, nGlide. The earlier version of DirectX used, requires the use of dgVoodoo2. nGlide nGlide settings Glide emulation is provided by the latest version of nGlide v2.10. Available from Zeus Software  in nGlide download . nGlide is installed as a system level Glide wrapper as explained further in Glide Wrappers: Last Man Standing or Peace and Harmony? Once installed the nGlide configurator is used to set the nGlide settings as shown in the screenshot. dgVoodoo2 This guide uses the latest version of dgVoodoo2, version 2.86.5  (at time of writing). This can be obtained from the dgVoodoo2 GitHub repository  in Releases . To install: Download dgVoodoo2 ( dgVoodoo2_86_5.zip ) and extract to a new folder. Copy the following dgVoodoo2 files to the CS installation folder. Note : the paths are not important you just need to add the files: dgVoodooCpl.exe MS\x86\D3D8.dll MS\x86\D3D9.dll MS\x86\D3DImm.dll MS\x86\DDraw.dll Download and extract the dgVoodoo.conf  in the below zip file, to the CS installation folder: Note : This configuration uses Max ISF as the DirectX resolution. You may need to change this if your chosen resolution does not match your desktop resolution. HOTAS config Joystick, throttle and rudder pedals are supported. Configuring axes may not be required if your HOTAS has 4 axes or less. When using devices totaling more than 4 axes, a virtual controller  can be used, limited to 4 axes. For those using controllers from multiple vendors, the vJoy/Joystick Gremlin/HidHide  combination may be required instead of vendor specific HOTAS profile software. The vJoy/Joystick Gremlin/HidHide examples  may help in configuring your HOTAS. The physical axes to Windows axes were configured as follows: Physical axis Windows axis Joystick x-axis DX_X_AXIS Joystick y-axis DX_Y_AXIS Throttle DX_Z_AXIS Rudder DX_ZROT_AXIS Running Once you have loaded and enabled your joystick/HOTAS profile and the MiG-29 CD or CD image is mounted in WIn10, the game can be run with: M29.exe Configuration There are comprehensive in-game configuration settings shown in the gallery below. Most can be left up to personal preference but those of particular note are: Video / Performance : All settings can be maximised, 3D Acceleration should be Enabled. Control / Performance: Should be optimised for the available joystick/HOTAS hardware. Those using a virtual controller created by TM TARGET or vJoy should make sure it is selected in Current Joystick . Keyboard Map : Allows keyboard commands to be remapped. Joystick Map : Allows joystick/HOTAS buttons to be remapped, which may be useful for those not using joystick/HOTAS profiling apps. Example video MiG-29 running in WIn10 with HOTAS Finally... Credit and thanks go to: Internet Archive, NovaLogic and PCGamingWiki for hosting the patch. Zeus for nGlide and dege for dgVoodoo2. Sarah Walker for PCem v17. Phil of PhilsComputerLab for his PCem Windows 98 setup tutorial. Удачной охоты! (Good hunting!)