Dungeon Keeper 2 -- TWEAKS & F!XES

This guide may or will be further updated in future!

It includes an edited configuration file to further zoom-out, and some RegEdit Tweaks for higher and stable resolutions as well as to lower scrolling and mouse sensitivity speeds and to uncensor the german edition!


If you like this guide, please rate it up and add it into your favourites.

Thank you!

First Steps

Happily Steam provides multilanguage support for Dungeon Keeper 2, change DK2's language via its Steam Properties while downloading on Steam.

While downloading:

• Right-click on downloading Dungeon Keeper 2 and select "Properties.."
  
• General Tab
  
• Language -> Change your preferred language
  
• Steam begins a fresh re-download of DK2

Then after downloading and installing Dungeon Keeper 2:

• Run DK2
  
• Enjoy the amazing intro
  
• If you have reached the main menu ..
  
• .. close the game

So files have been written into the RegEdit which we need to modify.

RegEdit: Lower scrolling and Mouse sensitivity speed

Open RegEdit:

WIN + R

regedit.exe

In RegEdit traverse to the Dungeon Keeper 2 directory and further to:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\ Configuration\Player

• "Mouse Sensitivity" -> 1 (decimal)
  
• "ScrollSpeed" -> 1 (decimal)

If the value "1 (dec)" is too slow as it varies due to different mice, software and hardware, so change their values between 1 and 5, as 5 is slowest possible via in-game settings.

RegEdit: Increase Resolution

Open RegEdit:

WIN + R

regedit.exe

In RegEdit traverse to the Dungeon Keeper 2 directory and further to:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\ Configuration\Video

• "Res 1280*1024 Enable" -> 1 (decimal)
  
• "Screen Height" -> 1024 (decimal)
  
• "Screen Width" -> 1280 (decimal)

Any higher resolution will disable fonts of in-game HUD & UI in Options and Settings. If you are ok with that, increase your (custom) resolution via Width and Height settings and disable again:

"Res 1280*1024 Enable" -> 0 (dec)

RegEdit: Uncensor German Edition

Open RegEdit:

WIN + R

regedit.exe

In RegEdit traverse to the Dungeon Keeper 2 directory and further to:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\ Configuration\Video

• "Torture Details" -> 1 (decimal)

In RegEdit traverse to the Dungeon Keeper 2 directory and further to:

Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bullfrog Productions Ltd\Dungeon Keeper II\ Configuration\Player

• "Use Blood" -> 1 (decimal)

Traverse to the Dungeon Keeper 2 InstallDir:

..\Steam\steamapps\common\Dungeon Keeper 2

..and open file "installScript.vdf" with Notepad or WordPad. Scroll down until you see that block:

				{
					"Torture Details"		"0"
				}

and edit it into:

				{
					"Torture Details"		"1"
				}

Save this file afterwards.


Back in the days, 2 extra files had been included for the german censorship which needed to be manually deleted. It seems these files are gladly not present anymore.

After doing the RegEdit tweaks

Do NOT open the ingame video settings after tweaking DK2 within the RegEdit, or the game will automatically restore all changes made and you have to re-do all (quick) steps via RegEdit.

The regular menu and options can be opened and used of course, as saving and loading game saves, changing audio and other settings.

HEX-edited mod: zoom-in and -out

Ingame you zoom-in and zoom-out with the "Home (Pos1)" and "End" keys.

To zoom out further, open install directory (InstallDir) of Dungeon Keeper 2 and traverse to:

..\Steam\steamapps\common\Dungeon Keeper 2\Data\editor

Do a backup of the original file "GlobalVariables.kwd" and replace it with this hex-edited file:

Encrypted Download @ Mega.nz:
DK2-SupKeeper.zip | 5 kb[mega.nz]

DK2 v1.7 (GOG/EA) Creature Attraction F!X

Dungeon Keeper 2 version 1.7 (which included the GOG and EA ORIGIN editions) comes with an issue that on many levels the correct creatures do not come from the portal anymore. For example you will no longer attract Dark Angels during the campaign.

To fix this, download this archive[keeperklan.com] and extract the files into your Dungeon Keeper II\Data\editor\maps folder. When prompted, say 'Yes to all' to overwrite the faulty files.

• Download mentioned file from KeeperKlan[keeperklan.com]
  ! Steam cannot resolve this link correctly, so copy-paste this link into your browser:
  

  https://keeperklan.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=141

  
  
• Direct Download Link (PatchLevels170.zip, 7.6 KB)
  ! Steam cannot resolve this link correctly, so copy-paste this link into your browser:
  

  https://keeperklan.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=141&act=down&actionhash=guest

  
  
• Extract contained map file fixes into following Dungeon Keeper 2 directory, overwrite files when prompted:
  

  ..\Steam\steamapps\common\Dungeon Keeper 2\Data\editor\maps

  
  
• Done! Creatures should now be attracted and spawned again within the campaign as intended.

Have Fun !

All these tweaks work for any DK2 release as on Steam, GOG, Electronic Arts, Retail ..

Have Fun, Keeper !


Best Regards,
N3

Affiliates

KeeperKlan[keeperklan.com]

[N3tRunn3r]

which resolution do you try to use?
and which regedit settings have you made or edited?

[Xenomorph]

Anyway to get widescreen i tried registry change as you said but i dosent work?

[ChaLLenGeR]

Back with an update for people that might be encountering the same issues as I have. The only thing that worked for me was to reinstall Windows. A clean wipe and a new beginning.

[Segismundo :]]

hey N3tRunn3r,

could you add me to friends? I would like to ask you something about DK2 :)

[Xenexodus]

Spot on! Thank you!!
Now if I could make window mode work

[N3tRunn3r]

How to: Perform a Clean Install or Reinstall of Windows 10 ::

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/all/how-to-perform-a-clean-install-or-reinstall-of/aef0ae63-2117-41ee-a8ea-4a3181625b08


Windows 11 Clean Installation Process ::

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsinsider/cleaninstall


This might help you too, a small important guide from me ::

https://steamcommunity.com/discussions/forum/1/4551533524171091239/#c4526764179302823770

. . . Good Luck !! . . .

[ChaLLenGeR]

@N3tRunn3r

As always, really appreciate the help!

Still the same error code when I try to install DirectPlay: 0x800700C1

Installing the files mentioned didn't change anything as of now :(

[N3tRunn3r]

@ChaLLenGeR ::

Hmm, i think i had that issue once, too.
Do following >>

Install DirectX End-User Runtime Web Installer, unhook Bing . . .

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=35


Install VCRedist X86 and X64

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cpp/windows/latest-supported-vc-redist?view=msvc-170#visual-studio-2015-2017-2019-and-2022


Restart PC afterwards.

If this has fixed your issue, I will add it into this guide.

[ChaLLenGeR]

@N3tRunn3r

Followed everything you mentioned, directplay was reinstalled successfully aaand then for some reason it's not working (same error) after restarting. The whole trip was a rollercoster.

Any chance this is related to windows updates?

Thanks again for all the help!

[N3tRunn3r]

> Uninstall DKII

> Restart PC

> Delete all remaining DKII files and folders

> Delete all temp files and registry keys, with Windows DiskCleaner and/or CCleaner (Slim) for example

> Restart PC

> Check if DirectPlay is still installed by Windows itself (OptionalFeatures.exe)

> Re-install DKII

> Upon launching DKII and if it asks you again to enable DirectPlay, select yes

Looks good then