Savage Warriors – DOSBox Optimization Guide

Steam and DOSBox settings and tips for controller set-up and sound and video optimization for the Steam version of Savage Warriors, which runs through DOSBox.

Guide to DOSBox Optimization

Introduction

The Steam version of Savage Warriors runs the game through DOSBox. This can cause difficulties in using the game with controllers, and in getting the game’s sound and video to work well. However, you can make settings through Steam and through the game’s included DOSBox configuration (“.conf”) files that may be able to resolve these difficulties.

Controllers

The game does not have controller support, and it can be tricky to get controllers working in DOSBox. However, if you click the “View controller settings” link in the “Controllers not supported” box of the game’s Steam Library page, you can enable Steam Input, and use the Steam Input setup to map the game’s keyboard keys (arrow keys, Enter, Right Shift, Esc, F10) to your controller.

Sound and Video

You can set some sound and video settings for DOSBox using a utility that installs along with the game: click the green PLAY button on the game’s Steam Library page, then pick the “Launch Controller Layout Tool” option.

However, I found that with the included configuration files, on my system the game ran at a too-narrow aspect ratio, and had jarring-sounding sounds, coming mostly from the left speaker.

I was able to correct this by replacing the contents of the three .conf files installed with the game, by default in

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Savage Warriors

With the following:

[sdl]
fullscreen=true
fulldouble=false
fullresolution=desktop
windowresolution=original
output=overlay
autolock=true
sensitivity=100
waitonerror=true
priority=higher,normal
mapperfile=mapper-0.74-3.map
usescancodes=true

[dosbox]
language=
machine=svga_s3
captures=capture
memsize=16

[render]
frameskip=0
aspect=false
scaler=normal2x forced

[cpu]
core=auto
cputype=auto
cycles=10000
cycleup=10
cycledown=20

[mixer]
nosound=false
rate=44100
blocksize=1024
prebuffer=25

[midi]
mpu401=intelligent
mididevice=default
midiconfig=

[sblaster]
sbtype=sb16
sbbase=220
irq=7
dma=1
hdma=5
sbmixer=true
oplmode=auto
oplemu=default
oplrate=44100

[gus]
gus=false
gusrate=44100
gusbase=240
gusirq=5
gusdma=3
ultradir=C:\ULTRASND

[speaker]
pcspeaker=true
pcrate=44100
tandy=auto
tandyrate=44100
disney=true

[joystick]
joysticktype=auto
timed=true
autofire=false
swap34=false
buttonwrap=false

[serial]
serial1=dummy
serial2=dummy
serial3=disabled
serial4=disabled

[dos]
xms=true
ems=true
umb=true
keyboardlayout=auto

[ipx]
ipx=false

[autoexec]
@echo off
mount c .\GAME
imgmount d SAVAGE.CUE -t iso
config -securemode
C:
CLS
cd WAR
WAR
exit