Games without Direct3D support but not DOS (and Windows 3.1x)

[Taw Tu'lki]

I have an old PC from 2003 with Windows XP. One day I delete a video driver for my card NVIDIA TNT2 RIVA. So, now I can't some games that for playing must be a Direct3D. But I don't need these.
I want to know which games from 90s or early 00s can be work without Direct3D support. Here's a games which I know:

 

1) PrBoom
2) Hexen II
3) Hexen 95
4) Winquake
5) Quake II
6) Populous The Beginning
7) SimCity 3000
8 ) Hard Truck (or Дальнобойщики)
9) Netstorm
10) Pilot Brothers
11) Age of Empires II
12) Sven Bomwollen
13) Diplomacy
14) Warcraft II Battle.net Edition
15) StarCraft

 

And which games your know? But please, don't name me a DOS games, casual games (like a Diner Dash), games for Windows 3.1x or standart games from Windows like a Minner or Solitaire.

[Kinsie]

1 hour ago, Taw Tu'lki said:

One day I delete a video driver for my card NVIDIA TNT2 RIVA.

Sounds like there's a much easier solution for your problem that I had to delve into my backups folder and blow dust off of.

 

[houston]

Got to agree with Kinsie, but I guess just to throw onto the list, Doukutsu Monogatari? Plus the rest of Studio Pixel's output.

 

[THEBaratusII]

Anything that uses the software renderer should work, I remember playing Half-Life while Windows was running on safe-mode many years ago for the lolz. Like Kinsie said, it is recommended to install video drivers regardless.

 

Unreal should work as well.

 

Also nice to see you have a RIVA TNT2 card, which one? The regular or the M64 variant?

Edited June 13, 2023 by THEBaratusII

[Taw Tu'lki]

31 minutes ago, Kinsie said:

Sounds like there's a much easier solution for your problem that I had to delve into my backups folder and blow dust off of.

  

I don't need an install GPU driver. I can do it by myself.

I just want to know a games which can be launched without Direct3D. But they must not be a DOS-games, casual games or games for Windows 3.1x.

 

[Taw Tu'lki]

2 minutes ago, THEBaratusII said:

Anything that uses the software renderer should work, I remember playing Half-Life while Windows was running on safe-mode many years ago for the lolz. Like Kinsie said, it is recommended to install video drivers regardless.

 

Unreal should work as well.

 

 Also nice to see you have a RIVA TNT2 card, which one? The regular or the M64 variant?

Regular

[Loud Silence]

OpenGL games does not use Direct3D, but still need video driver. Just install video driver already.

[Azuris]

7 hours ago, Loud Silence said:

OpenGL games does not use Direct3D, but still need video driver. Just install video driver already.

 

I am signing this.

 

Why don't you install the Driver?

You'll be aviable to find it online and put it on a USB Drive.

 

This will open up more Games for you :)

 

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/riva-drivers/

 

https://archive.org/details/riva-tnt-tnt-2

 

 

Edited June 13, 2023 by Azuris

[Taw Tu'lki]

6 hours ago, Azuris said:

 

I am signing this.

 

Why don't you install the Driver?

You'll be aviable to find it online and put it on a USB Drive.

 

This will open up more Games for you :)

 

https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/drivers/riva-drivers/

 

https://archive.org/details/riva-tnt-tnt-2

 

 

Thanks, but I don't do it. My PC can work without it.

I just want to find a game which can be work without Direct3D.

[Chow Yun Thin]

Okay dude, you're being weirdly insistent about not installing GPU drivers and we're all wondering what the possible reason could be. You might as well go all the way and remove the card since you seem intent on not using it anyway.

[Taw Tu'lki]

10 minutes ago, Chow Yun Thin said:

Okay dude, you're being weirdly insistent about not installing GPU drivers and we're all wondering what the possible reason could be. You might as well go all the way and remove the card since you seem intent on not using it anyway.

For experience. 12 years ago when I had an old PC I didn't know about Direct3D. And I didn't know that for playing some games which can work only with Direct3D you should install a video driver. But some games like Quake II works without Direct3D. So, I decided to find another games that shouldn't have a Direct3D support.

[Captain red pants]

Ok what the hell: I remember running the half-life uplink demo in software mode on my old 486 (just to see if I could). it wasn't exactly playable, but it did work. Might be worth looking into.

Edit: beaten. I got distracted by how specific the request is :/
I think Unreal and Unreal Tournament '99 have software modes as well

Edited June 14, 2023 by Captain red pants

[Azuris]

6 hours ago, Taw Tu'lki said:

Thanks, but I don't do it. My PC can work without it.

I just want to find a game which can be work without Direct3D.

 

Well, you could still be on your Quest for such Games, but also benefit from Direct3D :)

 

But ok, to add to your List, those two have a Software Mode:

 

Star Trek Starfleet Command

Elder Scrolls Redguard

 

Edit:

Ah you have 2D Games on your List, so:

Fallout

Edited June 14, 2023 by Azuris

[SilverMiner]

Loderunner by Sierra maybe 

[SilverMiner]

1 hour ago, Azuris said:

 

Well, you could still be on your Quest for such Games, but also benefit from Direct3D :)

 

But ok, to add to your List, those two have a Software Mode:

 

Star Trek Starfleet Command

Elder Scrolls Redguard

 

Edit:

Ah you have 2D Games on your List, so:

Fallout

I don't think Fallout would start, since it uses Direct Draw 7

[Azuris]

10 minutes ago, SilverMiner said:

I don't think Fallout would start, since it uses Direct Draw 7

 

Hmm but it runs on Dos :>

Ok, Windows XP,NT no Dos

[houston]

41 minutes ago, SilverMiner said:

it uses Direct Draw 7

He's fine with DirectX in general, it's just specifically Direct3D and other 3D acceleration he's curious about avoiding.

[MrFlibble]

I'm totally not sure, but Gunmetal has both a DOS and a Windows version, and in DOS it supports both software rendering and hardware acceleration. I believe the Windows version needs DirectX, but possibly D3D is not a requirement. You can grab two demos (different levels) at the Classic PC Games Collection.

 

Also I do believe Hellbender can run in software mode, no?

 

As for 2D games, shouldn't most of them work fine without D3D by default? That actually embraces a wide selection of genres, from various strategies to RPGs and adventure games.

[Azuris]

Hmm Windows XP could kill of some good 3D Games.

 

Tomb Raider

Flight Unlimited

 

[Taw Tu'lki]

On 6/13/2023 at 4:15 PM, houston said:

Got to agree with Kinsie, but I guess just to throw onto the list, Doukutsu Monogatari? Plus the rest of Studio Pixel's output.

  

That game works, thx.

 

16 hours ago, SilverMiner said:

Loderunner by Sierra maybe 

This game works, too. 

[MrFlibble]

13 hours ago, Azuris said:

Tomb Raider

I don't remember if it's true for the first game (it should be DOS only, except for an ATI patch which I believe was hacked to become an unofficial Windows version?), but TR2 and TR3, if not the later titles (up to Chronicles), should have software mode too IIRC.

[Murdoch]

7 minutes ago, MrFlibble said:

I don't remember if it's true for the first game (it should be DOS only, except for an ATI patch which I believe was hacked to become an unofficial Windows version?), but TR2 and TR3, if not the later titles (up to Chronicles), should have software mode too IIRC.

 

Correct. Original TR was DOS, and at least TR2 and 3 had software. 

 

21 hours ago, Azuris said:

Hmm but it runs on Dos :>

Ok, Windows XP,NT no Dos

 

According to the Wiki page, a DOS version does exist. I could have sworn that was what I got on Steam but apparently not.

[Azuris]

1 hour ago, MrFlibble said:

version?), but TR2 and TR3, if not the later titles (up to Chronicles), should have software mode too IIRC.

 

56 minutes ago, Murdoch said:

 

Correct. Original TR was DOS, and at least TR2 and 3 had software. 

 

 

According to the Wiki page, a DOS version does exist. I could have sworn that was what I got on Steam but apparently not.

 

 

Yep, wasn't sure if the second and onwards had a Software Mode, checked the Package on Mobygames and there was written something of Direct3D Card Support, so i left it out, because i wasn't sure

 

Yep first one is Dos, thats why i wrote XP will kill off some Games :)

 

Flight Unlimited has a Windows Version.

 

Yep, found out of Fallout 1 Dos Version a few Weeks ago, took it from my Disc and use it on my Phone on Dosbox :)

 

But to the Topic, this List should solve your Search pretty good:

 

https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/List_of_software_rendering_games