Posted May 12, 2017
Setting up Exult, the website is exult.sourceforge.org:
I don't know where GOG saves the Ultima 7 and Serpent Isle directories, but the Ultima Collection CD that came out around the time of Ultima IX had them in \blackgate and \serpentisle. What I do is make a directory named C:\Exult and copy \blackgate and \serpentisle into that. If you can find where GOG stores the games, copy those directories. Name shouldn't matter.
Now run the Exult installer, get the latest 1.5 snapshot. Install in C:\Exult. It should detect the two games, if not browse and select the folders manually. Now, install the all in one audio pack for better music. Run the game, create a new character, and journey onward. Now you can hit Escape and select the options, these apply to Black Gate and Serpent Isle both.
My video options are: Full Screen - Enabled, Display - 640x480, Scaler - Super Eagle, Game Area - 320x200, Fill Quality - Bilinear, Fill Mode - Centre. AA - Disabled, Same for full screen and window - Yes. But every setup is different so you can experiment and choose what you like.
Now for Audio, Sample Rate - 44100, Stereo, Enabled for the next 3 boxes, then Midi can be disabled because you're using the digital. That just leaves the SFX settings: Enabled, the Roland MT-32 pack, and Speech - Enabled.
I also go into Gameplay Options and set the speed to 8fps because I like a fast walk lol, but you can experiment and pick what works on your machine. You can also enable status bars which shows everyone's HP/MP bars at all times, and turn cheats on and off. One useful one is hitting F3 for teleporting anywhere, a cloth style map will come up in each game and you just click a spot. You can read the Exult documentation on the website for more information on cheats and game options - etc.
Last but not least, mods! Two of the best ones are the Black Gate with Keyring and Serpent Isle fixes. To install these: In the blackgate folder make a mods folder and extract the contents of the Black Gate mod .zip file to that folder. So you'll have C:\Exult\blackgate\mods with a Keyring folder inside and a keyring.cfg file. Then make a mods folder in the serpentisle folder and extract the Serpent Isle mod .zip file into that folder so you have C:\Exult\serpentisle\mods\ with a Sifixes folder inside and a sifixes.cfg.
And last, to make shortcuts to each so you can run them without going through the Exult main menu: Make one shortcut for the Black Gate Keyring mod and in the Target box put "C:\Exult\Exult.exe --fov --mod Keyring" (without the quotes). And in Start in put "C:\Exult" (without the quotes). For the Serpent Isle fixes, make a shortcut and put in the target box "C:\Exult\Exult.exe --si --mod sifixes" (without the quotes). And Start in: "C:\Exult" (without the quotes). And you're good to go. Hope this helps people, and you might want to make it a sticky lol. :-)
I don't know where GOG saves the Ultima 7 and Serpent Isle directories, but the Ultima Collection CD that came out around the time of Ultima IX had them in \blackgate and \serpentisle. What I do is make a directory named C:\Exult and copy \blackgate and \serpentisle into that. If you can find where GOG stores the games, copy those directories. Name shouldn't matter.
Now run the Exult installer, get the latest 1.5 snapshot. Install in C:\Exult. It should detect the two games, if not browse and select the folders manually. Now, install the all in one audio pack for better music. Run the game, create a new character, and journey onward. Now you can hit Escape and select the options, these apply to Black Gate and Serpent Isle both.
My video options are: Full Screen - Enabled, Display - 640x480, Scaler - Super Eagle, Game Area - 320x200, Fill Quality - Bilinear, Fill Mode - Centre. AA - Disabled, Same for full screen and window - Yes. But every setup is different so you can experiment and choose what you like.
Now for Audio, Sample Rate - 44100, Stereo, Enabled for the next 3 boxes, then Midi can be disabled because you're using the digital. That just leaves the SFX settings: Enabled, the Roland MT-32 pack, and Speech - Enabled.
I also go into Gameplay Options and set the speed to 8fps because I like a fast walk lol, but you can experiment and pick what works on your machine. You can also enable status bars which shows everyone's HP/MP bars at all times, and turn cheats on and off. One useful one is hitting F3 for teleporting anywhere, a cloth style map will come up in each game and you just click a spot. You can read the Exult documentation on the website for more information on cheats and game options - etc.
Last but not least, mods! Two of the best ones are the Black Gate with Keyring and Serpent Isle fixes. To install these: In the blackgate folder make a mods folder and extract the contents of the Black Gate mod .zip file to that folder. So you'll have C:\Exult\blackgate\mods with a Keyring folder inside and a keyring.cfg file. Then make a mods folder in the serpentisle folder and extract the Serpent Isle mod .zip file into that folder so you have C:\Exult\serpentisle\mods\ with a Sifixes folder inside and a sifixes.cfg.
And last, to make shortcuts to each so you can run them without going through the Exult main menu: Make one shortcut for the Black Gate Keyring mod and in the Target box put "C:\Exult\Exult.exe --fov --mod Keyring" (without the quotes). And in Start in put "C:\Exult" (without the quotes). For the Serpent Isle fixes, make a shortcut and put in the target box "C:\Exult\Exult.exe --si --mod sifixes" (without the quotes). And Start in: "C:\Exult" (without the quotes). And you're good to go. Hope this helps people, and you might want to make it a sticky lol. :-)
Post edited May 12, 2017 by Sean38FL