HowTo Play Gothic3 [Multi]-- Use THIS THREAD ONLY-DO NOT START ANOTHER!

[TippeX]

detects and unmounts? thats gotta be illegal...

[Strykerking]

are there any new cracks in the works?

[HeReT!C]

even with the orginal dvd you cant play. either you get an error message or the computer crashes.

[dooheht]

yep, same problem here. Maybe they added another protection or something...

[BillyBee]

About removing the vc8api.dll method...

It really does work.

The only problem with the new patch was that it automaticly unmounted the images... by removing the vc8api.dll ... this was not the case anymore.
I have been playing ever since the weekend with the patch 1.8,
but... you really need to keep these things in order:

* You need the german st0n3d release as with the the 1.7 patch (1.1)
* You need to mount the image in the virtualcd program INTO YOUR PHYSICAL drive... this sounds weird, but really.. virtualcd supports to virtually mount an image file, into your real, physical, cd/dvd player/burner so make sure you insert the image into that drive. If this option is not available... check the settings of virtualcd to enable the function

If it doesnt work... try unmounting all images in any (virtual)drive and removing all cd/dvd's from the drives, shutdown all image programs like alcohol, daemontools, poweriso etc. etc. then try the method again...
Do not forget to shutdown Virtualcd 8 Programs after mounting the images.

This should work, and really does work for me!
But only 1 out of 3 times... So usually I need to startup the game about 2-3 times, sometimes my whole system even locks up, but I dont mind paying such price while later playing the game for hours

As a gentleman states a bit earlier about Virtual CD drive maybe being banned.... First: I don't think that it has anything to do with this method, since the image is getting mounted into your physical drive, as such... those drives paramaters are 'seen' by the game. Second: If it really is a problem, then just change the virtual drives parameters in Virtual CD Settings... you can change the manafucturer and drive type etc...

[DABhand]

Another candidate of "I didnt read the rules".

THIS FORUM DOES NOT SUPPORT WAREZ!

[Grumpy]

@BillyBee

You need the german st0n3d release

I didnt bother to read all your post!
I got to the above quoted part and I had read enough!!

We do NOT support warez or warez users here!

Read the Forum Rules!

Banned!

[Siemion]

I have other release then, i am still suprised that u cant even write about release name, which is very very strange, its forum about cracks and u cant say what type of release u have????

[Grumpy]

@Siemion

I have other release

Enlighten us?

[Demogorgo]

As it turns out, the vc8api.dll does work if you want to play without the DVD. I was able to play the game using these exact steps.

1. Download fixed image from GCW.
2. Install VirtualCD 8.0.0.4.
3. Look at the JPEGs in the fixed image archive, and configure your copy of VCD the same way.
4. Use VCD to create a new virtual CD, using your Gothic 3 DVD as a source. You need a Virtual CD image, not an ISO.
5. When it's finished, you wll be left with a new set of files. One file ends in VC4, such as GOTHIC3.VC4. Rename or move this file.
6. Move the fixed image file to the same directory as the new file set (GOTHIC3.VC6). Rename it to your filename from step 5 (GOTHIC3.VC4).
7. Fake-mount the image to your REAL CD drive using VirtualCD. Mounting to a virtual drive does not work. This might make the drive physically eject.
8. Move vc8api.dll from your VCD installation to your SYSTEM32 directory (c:\windows\system32\).
9. Prepare your old save-game if you want (read the 1.08 release notes).
9: Install the Gothic 3 1.08 patch.
10. Play the game.

This game still needs a lot of work to be playable.

[Deceits]

Originally Posted by Demogorgo

As it turns out, the vc8api.dll does work if you want to play without the DVD. I was able to play the game using these exact steps.

1. Download fixed image from GCW.
2. Install VirtualCD 8.0.0.4.
3. Look at the JPEGs in the fixed image archive, and configure your copy of VCD the same way.
4. Use VCD to create a new virtual CD, using your Gothic 3 DVD as a source. You need a Virtual CD image, not an ISO.
5. When it's finished, you wll be left with a new set of files. One file ends in VC4, such as GOTHIC3.VC4. Rename or move this file.
6. Move the fixed image file to the same directory as the new file set (GOTHIC3.VC6). Rename it to your filename from step 5 (GOTHIC3.VC4).
7. Fake-mount the image to your REAL CD drive using VirtualCD. Mounting to a virtual drive does not work. This might make the drive physically eject.
8. Move vc8api.dll from your VCD installation to your SYSTEM32 directory (c:\windows\system32\).
9. Prepare your old save-game if you want (read the 1.08 release notes).
9: Install the Gothic 3 1.08 patch.
10. Play the game.

This game still needs a lot of work to be playable.

I've tried this exact method and it doesn't work for me. Anyone else get this working? If so, give a more in depth or detailed talk on how you did it.

[recble]

Originally Posted by Demogorgo

As it turns out, the vc8api.dll does work if you want to play without the DVD. I was able to play the game using these exact steps.

1. Download fixed image from GCW.
2. Install VirtualCD 8.0.0.4.
3. Look at the JPEGs in the fixed image archive, and configure your copy of VCD the same way.
4. Use VCD to create a new virtual CD, using your Gothic 3 DVD as a source. You need a Virtual CD image, not an ISO.
5. When it's finished, you wll be left with a new set of files. One file ends in VC4, such as GOTHIC3.VC4. Rename or move this file.
6. Move the fixed image file to the same directory as the new file set (GOTHIC3.VC6). Rename it to your filename from step 5 (GOTHIC3.VC4).
7. Fake-mount the image to your REAL CD drive using VirtualCD. Mounting to a virtual drive does not work. This might make the drive physically eject.
8. Move vc8api.dll from your VCD installation to your SYSTEM32 directory (c:\windows\system32\).
9. Prepare your old save-game if you want (read the 1.08 release notes).
9: Install the Gothic 3 1.08 patch.
10. Play the game.

This game still needs a lot of work to be playable.

can somebody help me with step 7 -
Fake-mount the image to your REAL CD drive using VirtualCD. Mounting to a virtual drive does not work. This might make the drive physically eject.

i dont know what shall i do ;/
when i trying to do that i`ve got error ("reason: communication error")

[TippeX]

Originally Posted by HeReT!C

even with the orginal dvd you cant play. either you get an error message or the computer crashes.

good old jowood...always releasing stuff before its finished, they really should do less emphasis on 'invasive' (because it unmounts etc) protection and actually work on fixing the game... preferably before it goes on sale..

[Strykerking]

Wow, this really sucks I hope some sort of crack is in the work it FIX thier shitty patch, it seems they were trying so hard with protection that they broke it. Im going to have to revert back to an old version I guess... that really sucks.

[Sickboy6th]

In Gothic 3, they now built an api call to virtual cd 8, to unmount all images, and so the game gives an error to insert original disc...
After 2 hours of screwing around with my vcd installation... I found a way to get it working...
You get again the 2 out of 3 times = not starting up problem, and sometimes even a hard crash, but you can play at least 1 out of 3 times of starting up

To get the 1.08 update working, without a crack, use the same virtual cd 8 method as described here: http://www.somewarezsite.com (Sickboy6th post, somewhere in the middle)
except, after inserting the cd into the physical drive... close all virtual cd programs, move the file: vc8api.dll from the Program Files\Virtual cd 8\System folder to somewhere else.. then startup the game...
Don't forget to put the file back after playing the game! If VCD doesn't work properly anymore, make sure that file is back in it's folder and just reboot