The following are my experience and various reports from internet about how to get Dominion Wars running on a decent system. However, it needs more info regarding nVidia GeForce 8*** and later, and ATi Radeon X/HD 4*** and later video cards.

Dominion Wars is known not to work on certain video cards. The following Video cards are confirmed compatible:

• nVidia: TNT2~GeForce FX 5***(with old drivers)
• ATI: Radeon 9*** ~ HD3***
• SiS 630 Integrated graphics

The following video cards are confirmed NOT working with Dominion Wars:

• Intel integrated Graphics processor
• VIA Chrome9 HC IGP
• nVidia GeForce 6***~9*** series

If you have a v1.04 disc, which can be identified by game files dated 2001/9/7, you don't need any patch. There are various versions of DW that require different patches:

• US version 1.01: need US 1.01-1.04 patch
• Europe version 1.03: need Europe 1.03-1.04 patch
• German version 1.03: need German 1.03-1.04 patch

Do not download or use the v1.05 patch which will make the game unplayable. After patched to v1.04, set compatibility mode to Windows98/Me if you are using Windows XP.

• DW requires at least one CD/DVD drive. If you have a laptop, use daemon-tools or alcohol 52% to emulate a CD drive. You can use no-cd exe, but a CD/DVD drive is still necessary.
• DW doesn't like multiple monitors or video cards, even if you have only one monitor or video card connected, but with two or more in device manager.Check your device manager and remove or delete unused monitors.
• DW might not run on Vista, Windows 7 or any x64 operating system.

Well, I can only guess Dominion Wars doesn't like newer nVidia video cards... :p

At least I have more data to extend the non-compatible list.

Ok. I've installed windows 7 on my old laptop which has ATi mobility radeon 9700 and it will run Dominion Wars without any problem.

- DW may be able to be played in Windows 7, depending on which video card you have.(See first post for a video card list)
- You don't need to set compatibility mode in Windows 7.

I'm aware that this is a rather old topic, but there is some progress for improve compatibility of Dominion Wars at trekbbs:
http://trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=138489

In short, komat has developed a dll wrapper to fix some compatibility issues of Dominion Wars
http://jiridvorak.webpark.cz/dw/

However, that would need user to hex edit the ds9dw.exe file. So I made a patch utility to help people patch Dominion Wars:
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=FRAG5MSM
You have to select which version you have (US/EU/DE) and install it. So far it's been tested on US and EU versions. More discussions can be found at trekbbs.

let me know how that works out Zach. I would like to see if I could get this old DW game working on this new comp.