Thanks to the recent release of the Build Engine source code, Jonathon Fowler (aka jonof) has been working on a 32-bit port of the DOS classic Duke Nukem 3D to the Windows platform.  The 3D acceleration in the port will be provided using OpenGL.  I noticed in his notes on his website (http://jonof.edgenetwork.org/buildport/duke3d/) that no 3dfx cards were used in testing the most recent port builds, so I decided to give the port a whirl on my system.

Here are the specs for my principal game system:

Windows 98 SE
DirectX 8.1b
Soyo SY-7VCAE Motherboard
Intel Pentium III  933 MHz Socket 370 Processor
3dfx Voodoo5 64MB AGP Graphics Adapter
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live! Platinum (Model SB4760P)
256 MB SDRAM

I tried using the port with both the Version 1.3d Shareware and the Retail Atomic Edition of Duke Nukem 3D, and I get the same results with both programs:

Classic Mode:  This mode works in all resolutions supported by my monitor up to 1280x1024.  One interesting thing is that while there are shadows cast by objects, it is also the case that streets and alleys in the distance are dark and become lighter as you go farther down them.  This contrasts with the results of the Polymost Software mode.  Performance is clearly better than Polymost Software.  Sound and music are functional.

Polymost Software Mode:  This mode also works in all resolutions supported by my monitor up to 1280x1024.  In this mode, you see all the way down a street or alley with no darkness in the distance, although buildings do cast shadows.  Performance is not quite as smooth as Classic Mode, but the framerate is quite playable even at the highest resolutions.  Sound and music are functional.

OpenGL Mode (Windowed):  This mode is problematic.  The game does run, and sound and music are functional, but the graphical display is a mess.  In the main menu for example,  it appears as if sections of the screen are tiled, and some sections are not represented at all.  You can see "Du" repeated four times at the top of the screen, with the square shifting to the right so that only part of the "D" is visible in the rightmost tile.  I tried tricks like pulling the 3dfxvgl.dll out of the C:/Windows/System folder, renaming it OPENGL32.DLL, and placing it in the Duke Nukem 3D folder, but this did not improve things.  I even tried the Metabyte WickedGL just for the heck of it, but it didn't work at all.  I tried altering all of the OpenGL parameters that can be changed in the 3dfx tools, but again, this had no effect on the display.

OpenGL Mode (Full Screen):  If I use the port's setup utility to set the mode to Full Screen and OpenGL and start the game, I hear the graphics card and monitor attempt a mode change, but the program aborts and I get kicked back to the desktop with no error message.  If the program is already running in Full Screen Classic or Polymost Software mode and I change the mode to Full Screen OpenGL in the menu system, I also get kicked immediately back to the desktop with no error message.


I also tried the port with the following system and the retail Atomic Version of the game:

Windows 98 SE
DirectX 8.1b
NEC Ready 9840 Desktop
Intel Pentium MMX 233 MHz Processor
Creative Labs Voodoo2 12MB Graphics Adapter
Creative Labs Sound Blaster Live!
128 MB SDRAM

The results are the same for all modes except that performance is measured in seconds per frame rather than frames per second in Polymost Software Mode, and OpenGL Mode has almost identical tiling compared to the Voodoo5 instead of the proper display.


Here is Jonathon's reply to the results I reported:

"I can see I'm going to have to try and locate a Voodoo3/4/5 or something from somewhere and try to work out this problem myself, because without one I've nowhere to begin in trying to fix the problem. I personally am not too worried about Voodoo2s because they can't support textures bigger than 256x256 anyway, which is a needless pain in the *** in this day and age. I might have to use some of the cash folks have given me through PayPal and get a card off ebay or something. We'll see.

Jonathon"


We therefore have an opportunity to help this project, so if you have a Voodoo 3/4/5 card that you are thinking of retiring on a permanent basis, you might consider donating it to Jonathon.  He might also appreciate some feedback on how well the port works with other configurations, even those with non-3dfx cards.  Remember that the port is a work in progress, and Jonathon is trying hard to get the network code straightened out at the moment, so patience (not the Moderator!) is required.