Dungeon Siege 1 Troubleshooting Guide

Glossary

Shortcuts used throughout this document:

DS = Dungeon Siege
GPU = Graphics Processing Unit (graphics card)
LOA = Legends of Aranna
MP = Multiplayer
SP = Singleplayer
<config-file> = "<path-to-docs>\DungeonSiege.ini"
<config-file-LOA> = "<path-to-docs-LOA>\DungeonSiege.ini"
<gpu-model> = actual name of your GPU (ex: "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070")
<mod-name> = folder name of your mod (ex: u6p)
<path-to-docs> = "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Dungeon Siege"
<path-to-docs-LOA> = "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Dungeon Siege LOA"
<path-to-game> = your installation directory (ex: "%PROGRAMFILES(X86)%\Steam\steamapps\common\Dungeon Siege 1")

Please note that while this document is based on the Steam version (combined with Killah's fix), I did my best to accommodate retail users and those not using LOA. Some steps may be different and a few issues may not happen on the retail version.

Guides

Add the game on GameRanger

Download and run https://amd989.github.io/Symlinker (click on "Download Standalone Executable"). It's a front-end for the mklink command.
In Symlinker, make a directory junction to your game directory in Program Files:
In GameRanger, hit "Edit -> Options -> Games -> Dungeon Siege -> Browse" then select "DungeonSiege.exe" from Program Files:

Note: for LOA, the executable must be named "DSLOA.exe".

Capture the game with OBS

I discovered a special trick to capture the game's window while playing fullscreen (without using desktop capture).

Run the game windowed with the launch parameter "fullscreen=false".
Add a window capture in OBS and select DS (stretch it to fullscreen if you want).
Close DS and remove the launch parameter so it runs fullscreen.
Run the game again, OBS will still capture it.

If you're not playing at your native resolution, just make sure you don't alt-tab otherwise it'll fit only part of the screen! If you have to alt-tab, you can either go back to the main menu and load your saved game, or add a Crop/Pad filter (relative) on your window capture to remove the black borders.

If the game is not captured or listed in the drop-down menu at all, then I'd say you're either running the game in compatibility mode or as admin (OBS can't see processes with compatibility modes and won't list admin processes unless it's also run as admin). If it's not the case, then you're on a system with an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU (like a laptop) and you may have to run the game on the same GPU that OBS is using.

Note: it also works with other games, as long as they're using DX9 (or older) or OpenGL.

Change the FOV

Hex-edit the game's executable: http://www.wsgf.org/dr/dungeon-siege

Convert DS saves to LOA

After installing LOA, you won't be able to load your DS saved games. You need to add a flag in each saved game for LOA to recognize your DS saved game by performing both steps below:

Decompile the save:

Download and run Tank Viewer (https://www.fileplanet.com/archive/p-58065/Tank-Viewer).
Click on Open, navigate to "<path-to-docs>\Save" and select your save.
Click on Extract and select a folder (preferably empty) where to extract the files.
Open the "info.gas" file with a text editor.
Right below the line starting with "is_auto_save", add another line "is_dsx = true;".
Save the file.

Recompile the save:

Download and run Tank Creator (https://www.zhixalom.com/lair/2005/09/12/tank-creator-2-1).
Click on Source and select the folder where you decompiled the files earlier.
Click on Output, select "<path-to-docs-LOA>\Save" and make sure the file has a DSSAVE extension.
Select "DS & LOA" under Format.
Click on Create.

You should now be able to load your save in LOA.

Source: https://discordapp.com/channels/373223103985090581/400744824593973248/587998587112259584

Enable EAX

Download dsoal: https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Glossary:Sound_card#Universal_2
Extract dsound.dll and dsoal-aldrv.dll to <path-to-game>.
Run the game and enable EAX in the options.

Enable LOA + Extras

Download Killah's fix and follow the installation instructions: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1148174213

Enable MP

If Windows doesn't detect that the game needs DirectPlay (when clicking on Multiplayer), go to Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Turn Windows features on or off -> Legacy Components -> Enable DirectPlay.

Note: this only applies to Windows 7 or later.

HD textures

There are currently two HD textures packs available.

The first one (recommended) is a set of upscaled textures (based on the original) using ESRGAN by Antrad2020: https://www.nexusmods.com/dungeonsiege1/mods/44

The second one is a set of textures from the Legendary Mod (a DS2 mod that ports DS1 content over the DS2 engine) ripped by Eksevis: https://www.mediafire.com/file/7awhevfmqochnpo/Dungeon_Siege+-+Legendary+textures.zip

Note: it seems to work fine on all custom campaigns and doesn't bloat saves (only tested in The Lands of Hyperborea and the Ultima remakes).

Increase shadow resolution

Open "<path-to-game>\system_detail.gas" and change the 10 occurrences of "shadow_tex_size = 64" to 128/256/512/1024. You can do a search and replace on "= 64".

Note: 512 and above can be VERY taxing in forests when using the "All complex" setting (in that case, switch to "Party complex"). Values higher than 1024 may prevent the game from loading.

Increase UI size

If you play the game at higher resolutions (like 1080p), the UI won't scale and will become tiny. There is a workaround that involves rendering the game at a specific resolution and the UI at a lower resolution (effectively making it bigger):

Download the latest version of dgVoodoo2: http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2.html
Open the downloaded archive and extract dgVoodoo.conf, dgVoodooCpl.exe and all files from the "MS\x86" subfolder (except D3D9.dll) to <path-to-game>.
Run dgVoodooCpl.exe, go to the DirectX tab, select your native resolution from the Resolution drop down list and hit OK.
Set the game at the resolution you want the UI to be scaled to, typically 720p or lower (see Use custom resolutions).

You may encounter two issues when using dgVoodoo2:

if your game crashes at launch or slows down when moving the mouse, disable third-party overlays and frame limiters.
if you see a Windows cursor flicker in the middle of your screen, just tab out and tab back in.

Install Mageworld, The Lands of Hyperborea and the Ultima 5/6 remakes on the Steam version

Normally, the Ultima remakes are meant for the retail version, but some people made guides to make them work on the Steam version:

I made some drag-and-drop archives if you want to skip the installation guide above:

For the other mods, just ignore the above and download these archives:

Please follow these steps for each mod to make sure everything is working properly:

Extract the archive to your DS folder.
Edit the provided BAT file with your desired resolution.
Copy the content of <path-to-docs> to the "<path-to-game>\<mod-name>\User\Save" subfolder prior to running the mod (if you'd like to keep your key bindings and game preferences).
Run the mod with the BAT file (you can also replicate its arguments in a shortcut or Steam launch options).
Saved games will be located under the "<path-to-game>\<mod-name>\User\Save" subfolder (to avoid overriding saves from the main game).

Note: all of these mods are NOT compatible with LOA. Please refer to their respective readme files for further issues.

Play MP

Run the game with the "zonematch=true" launch parameter to directly boot into the MP menu (not necessary if you're using the retail version or Killah's fix).

Play MP map in SP

Install one of these mods:

Legends of Utrae (recommended): https://www.siegetheday.org/?q=node/1317
Myros: https://www.fileplanet.com/87368/80000/fileinfo/Myros-Mod or https://www.dropbox.com/sh/utwgyv8ic6bpyd2/AADp6em9zEbh9Bo-gCfxSYy3a/myrosmap.zip

Play Yesterhaven map in SP

I made a drag-and-drop archive from Father Bronze's Yesterhaven Single-Player Edition (http://ds.gemsite.org/web/index.php/maps/map-addons/GET/detail-61) so you won't have to worry about resources conflicting with each other: https://www.mediafire.com/file/tk4qfvq2gqb217r/Dungeon_Siege_-_YesterhavenSP.zip

Just extract it to your DS folder and use the provided BAT file to run the mod.

Run the game above 1080p

Check the "dgVoodoo for 1920x1080+ resolutions" section in Beatlebattle's guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1642475147#2897971

You'll need dgVoodoo2 that you can get from here: http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2.html

Use custom resolutions

By default, the game can only be played in 640x480, 800x600 or 1024x768.

However, with some tweaking, you can play it at any resolution. There are a few caveats though:

the UI doesn't scale up (see Increase UI size for a workaround)
there are (supposedly) glitches in cutscenes
a warning message (that can safely be ignored) will appear when starting/loading a game (see Requested display mode is unsupported to remove it)

You have 3 ways to make the game run at custom resolutions.

Method 1:

Access the field to add launch parameters to your DS/LOA shortcut or Steam Library (see https://appuals.com/steam-set-launch-options-and-full-list).
Add the "width=xxxx" and "height=xxxx" launch parameters (where "xxxx" is your desired resolution, for instance "width=1920 height=1080"). Make sure there is no space before/after the equal sign.

Method 2:

Open <config-file> (or <config-file-LOA> for LOA) with a text editor.
Change the "width = xxxx" and "height = xxxx" to your desired resolution (where "xxxx" is your desired resolution).
Save the file.

Method 3:

Follow the steps described in Requested display mode is unsupported.
Run "<path-to-game>\DSVideoConfig.exe" and select your custom resolution.
Copy "<path-to-game>\DungeonSiege.ini" to <path-to-docs> (or <path-to-docs-LOA> for LOA).

I found out it's better to specify the resolution in launch parameters (method 1) compared to the configuration file (method 2 and 3) because it will prevent the game from changing it back to the default resolutions while navigating the options menu.

Note: for resolutions higher than 1080p, check Run the game above 1080p.

Issues fixed

Cannot find world:global:vosounds in gas tree

Your game files are corrupted. Reinstall the game.

Crash/exception

It can be caused by literally anything. Here are a few common fixes I've gathered since I started playing this game:

Run "<path-to-game>\DSVideoConfig.exe" and switch your driver to "<gpu-model> - Hardware" (or its TnL equivalent).
Use simple shadows (Options -> Shadows -> Simple) or disable them.
Lower object quality (Options -> Object Detail).
Run the game as administrator.
Run the game in compatibility mode (try all of them).
Run the game from the executable instead of Steam.
Run the game on your other GPU (if you have one).
If you're using a resolution higher than 1080p, see Run the game above 1080p.
Disable overlays (Steam, GOG, Discord, etc).
Some mods can conflict with each other. Find and remove conflicting mods.
Some mods don't work on LOA. Find and remove incompatible mods, then look for similar mods compatible with LOA.
Make the game recognize your GPU: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=780048558
Make sure the "My Documents" directory is on your C drive.
Install DirectX 9.0c: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109
Use dgVoodoo2: http://dege.freeweb.hu/dgVoodoo2/dgVoodoo2.html

Note: DSVideoConfig only edits "<path-to-game>\DungeonSiege.ini" (it's intended to be run before playing the game the first time) so make sure to copy it to <path-to-docs> (or <path-to-docs-LOA> if you're using LOA).

Fuel failed to write file prefs.gas

Run "<path-to-game>\DSVideoConfig.exe" as administrator.
Make sure <path-to-docs> is not read-only.
Disable your anti-virus.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=710028262735915

Game screen is offset

If your game looks zoomed in, it's likely caused by your screen scaling settings.

Right-click "DungeonSiege.exe" then hit "Properties".
Go to "Compatibility -> Change high DPI settings".
Check "Override high DPI scaling behaviour" and make sure "Application" is selected in the drop-down menu.

Alternatively, you can set the Windows display scaling setting back to 100%:

Right-click on your desktop.
Select "Display settings".
Go to "Scale and layout".
Select "100% (Recommended)".

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/app/39190/discussions/0/620696522225972749/#c1642038749323053918

Incompatible version

When playing MP, it's important that everyone uses EXACTLY the same files.

The game performs a CRC check on all files. If check values between clients don't match, the game won't let you join someone else's game. It's often caused by different executables, resources and game language. Even an additional resource (typically a mod) will cause it.

Here are the files that differ between the Steam and retail versions:

Resources\DevLogic.dsres
Resources\Logic.dsres
Resources\Objects.dsres
DungeonSiege.exe

You can get the Steam version of these files here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/hxvnxxqlmmiheeh/Dungeon_Siege_Steam_resources.zip

Here are the files that differ between languages:

DSLOA\ExpVoices.dsres (retail only)
Resources\Language.dsres
Resources\Voices.dsres (retail only)
Language.dll

Mouse cursor is missing

Turn off supersampling in your GPU control panel.

For NVIDIA users:

Right-click on your desktop.
Select "NVIDIA Control Panel".
Click on "Manage 3D settings".
Set "DSR - Factors" to "Off".

For AMD users:

Right-click on your desktop.
Select "AMD Radeon Settings".
Click on the "Display" tab.
Set "Virtual Super Resolution" to "Off".

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/app/39190/discussions/0/612823460274990833#c617328415054371674

No GPU listed in DSVideoConfig

Enable DirectDraw acceleration: https://superuser.com/a/504510
Follow doa_92's guide: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=780048558

Poor performance

Run the game once then open <config-file> (or <config-file-LOA> for LOA) with a text editor. Make sure you have the following at the top:

driver_description = <gpu-model> - Hardware
width = 1024
height = 768
bpp = 32
bltonly = true ; highly recommended

You can also add this too, if you want:

nointro = true ; skips the intro logo
fullscreen = false ; makes the game windowed
maxfps = 62 ; limits the framerate

If the game still doesn't run well, you may want to run it on your other GPU (if you have one) or add your GPU to the list so the game recognizes it (see No GPU listed in DSVideoConfig).

Note: if the framerate is bad in windowed mode, applying the fixes from UI/cursor flickering may help.

Requested display mode is unsupported

When running the game in resolutions other than the default ones, a warning message will be displayed every time you start/load a game from the main menu.

Open "<path-to-game>\system_detail.gas" and everywhere you see 1024x768, add a duplicate of that line but change it with your resolution, like in the example below:

[resolutions]
{
	[640x480]	{ max_back_buffers = 1; }
	[800x600]	{ max_back_buffers = 1; }
	[1024x768]	{ max_back_buffers = 2; }
	[1280x720]	{ max_back_buffers = 2; }
	[1920x1080]	{ max_back_buffers = 2; }
}

Save failed

When trying to save the game, you may get a message saying "Save failed" and no save is created under <path-to-docs>.

Your antivirus/antimalware/ransomware protection is at fault. Add the game as an exception or disable it.
You have a username with special (non-latin) characters. Change your username so it only uses latin characters.
Run the game as admin.

Note: it happens in a few other games too.

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/app/39200/discussions/0/2619339453457265287

Sorry, this save game was not created by Legends of Aranna and cannot be loaded

See Convert DS saves to LOA.

UI/cursor flickering

Right-click "DungeonSiege.exe" then hit "Properties -> Compatibility -> Reduced color mode -> 16-bit (65536) color".
Make sure it says "bpp = 32" in <config-file> (or <config-file-LOA> for LOA).
Disable any kind of antialiasing in your GPU driver settings.
Press the Windows key to minimize the game then maximize it.
Run the game on your other GPU (if you have one).
Run the game in fullscreen or windowed mode.

Unable to enumerate any DirectDraw devices installed on this system

Enable DirectDraw acceleration: https://superuser.com/a/504510

You cannot run Dungeon Siege in a resolution higher than your desktop

Lower the game's height (see Use custom resolutions) so that it corresponds to your desktop's height minus at least 40 pixels (it can be more) to account for the borders (ex: 1920x1080 -> 1920x1040).

Modding

Cannot download GMAX when installing the toolkit

You can get GMAX from there: https://www.turbosquid.com/gmax

Make DSMod work on the Steam version

TLDR (both scenarios): https://www.mediafire.com/file/852l283dl7p580j/DSMod_Steam_version.zip

Download the reg patch and run it from <path-to-game> to make DSMod find your game.

After doing that, you will run into two scenarios depending on which reg patch you were using prior to installing the toolkit.

Scenario 1:

If you were using an old version of the reg patch (an executable), the "DSMod.exe" QA version (02.12.1603) won't match Steam's "DungeonSiege.exe" QA version (03.07.0202), so you'll need to use a tool like Resource Hacker (https://portableapps.com/apps/utilities/resource-hacker-portable) to make them identical:

Make a backup of "DSMod.exe" (just in case).
Run two instances of Resource Hacker as administrator.
In the first instance, hit "File -> Open -> DSMod.exe".
In the second instance, hit "File -> Open -> DungeonSiege.exe".
In both instances, hit "Version Info -> 1 : 1033".
Locate the line "MSQAVersion" and replace its value in "DSMod.exe" by the value from "DungeonSiege.exe".
Click on the green arrow (or F5) to compile the script.
Click on the green floppy disk (or Ctrl + S) to save the file.

Scenario 2:

If you were using the new version of the reg patch (a batch script), DSMod will ask for disc 1 of LOA. Download and mount the mini image from Make DSLOAMod work on the Steam version.

Note: setting "shadow_tex_size" higher than 256 will prevent shadows from working.

Make DSLOAMod work on the Steam version

Download the reg patch and run it from <path-to-game> to make DSLOAMod find your game.

DSLOAMod won't get installed unless LOA is installed. On top of that, it uses SmarteSecure DRM disc check so you'll need to have disc 1 of LOA in your disc drive or it'll refuse to run.

If you don't want to go this route, I created a mini image that will satisfy the disc check: https://www.mediafire.com/file/a7cxee61t49v17f/DSLOA1+mini+image.iso

Just mount the ISO with Windows 10 File Explorer or with a third party software (like WinCDEmu) before running DSLOAMod.

If you have a "Couldn't register file.tmp" popup followed by a SmarteSecure popup, it means the location you're trying to run it from has permission issues. Run DSLOAMod as admin or move it elsewhere.

You may also have a few "ATLCOMHelper Exception" popups. You can safely ignore those and DSLOAMod will run. To get rid of them, either use the DSLOAMod shortcut in the toolkit installation directory or place DSLOAMod in <path-to-game> and run it from there.

Note: setting "shadow_tex_size" higher than 256 will prevent shadows from working.

Make Siege Editor work on the Steam version

Download and run the reg patch from <path-to-game> to make the editor find your game.

To fix the "Unable to find video card entry for your hardware" warning in Siege Editor, you need to add an entry corresponding to your GPU in "<path-to-game>\system_detail.gas". The device name and both IDs are shown in the error message and must be prefixed with "0x".

Where you add it is important, otherwise it may disable some effects (like complex shadows). Look up the section corresponding to the vendor of your graphics card (nVidia, ATI or Intel). In my case, I added this entry at the beginning of the "nVidia" vendor section (before the other "[device*]" entries):

[device*]
{
	name					= "GeForce GTX 1070";
	x vendorid				= 0x10de;
	x deviceid				= 0x1b81;
	x driver_product		= 0;
	x driver_version		= 0;
	b trilinear_filt		= true;
	b shadow_render_target	= true;
}

As a bonus, setting "shadow_render_target" to true seems to increase the framerate while using complex shadows (at least on my system). It can be used when not modding too!

You can ignore the "xp_" warnings when starting the editor (they'll pop up if you installed Killah's fix). If you wish to get rid of them, you have to (re)move the "Return to Arhok" campaign. To do so, move/delete the following files:

"<path-to-game>\Maps\XPMap.dsmap"
"<path-to-game>\Resources\XPRes.dsres"

Note: setting "shadow_tex_size" higher than 256 will yield another warning that can safely be ignored.

Tank Creator doesn't work

If nothing happens when clicking on the Create button in Tank Creator, make sure it's added to the exclusion list of your antivirus.

View a protected tank

Open Siege Editor.
Hit "Siege Editor -> File -> Convert .dsmap to Files...".
Select your DSRES/DSMAP from the "Source File" button.
Uncheck "Use default destination folder" and select the folder where you want to extract it (if it's checked, the default destination folder is "<path-to-docs>\Bits").
Uncheck "Extract .lqd files" if you just want to view the extracted files.
Click OK.

Walkthroughs

All-in-One:

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1264921426

DS:

LOA:

Utraean Peninsula:

http://ds.gemsite.org/web/index.php/utraen-peninsula

Links

https://discord.gg/PPsdY3D (unofficial community Discord)
http://ds.gemsite.org/web/index.php/main
http://ds-old.gemsite.org
http://ds.heavengames.com
http://ds2.bplaced.net/sysdat/ds1 ("system_detail.gas" configurator)
http://dungeonsiege.8m.net/train_univer.htm (modding documentation)
https://dungeonsiege.fandom.com/wiki/Dungeon_Siege (DS wiki)
https://dungeonsiege.fandom.com/wiki/Dungeon_Siege:_Legends_of_Aranna (LOA wiki)
https://www.gamefront.com/games/dungeon-siege (DS mods)
https://www.gamefront.com/games/dungeon-siege-legend-of-aranna (LOA mods)
https://www.moddb.com/games/dungeon-siege (DS mods)
https://www.moddb.com/games/dungeon-siege-legend-of-aranna (LOA mods)
https://www.nexusmods.com/dungeonsiege1 (mods)
https://www.siegetheday.org
https://sites.google.com/view/chickengeorgemods/modding (modding tools)
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/DungeonSiegeOfficialGroup (Steam group)
https://www.zhixalom.com/lair/category/dungeon-siege-1 (DS/LOA mods)

Credits

This document wouldn't have been possible without the following people:

0xff
Antrad2020
Beatlebattle
doa_92
Eksevis#8120 (Discord)
Father Bronze
Killah
Orix#9582 (Discord)
Player#7716 (Discord)
sadowson#5553 (Discord)
The Walkthrough King
Tiberius

And the following resources:

https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Dungeon_Siege
https://pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Dungeon_Siege:_Legends_of_Aranna
http://www.wsgf.org/dr/dungeon-siege
GOG forums
Steam Community forums/guides

Thanks a lot for your help!

Disclaimer

I won't be held responsible if you mess up your game or saved game after using one of these fixes. You do it at your own risk!

You're not allowed to put this document in raw form anywhere, out of respect (it took me 3 years to compile it). Just share the GitHub link or redirect users to one of the threads below:

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