It is a patch that installs the OAW file-manager into s copy of the GoG or Steam EAW folder. This allows the user to select different theatres, terrains, gunsights and horizons.
The patch can be used if you have either a GoG version of EAW 1.28 or the EAW 1.2 which shortly replaced it. It updates the GoG installation to their 1.28 version and adds two special versions of the OAW selector.
Use this link to download the installer. GoG expansion with OAW
GOG users make a copy of your GoG EAW folder and run the "OAW-GoG128Apr5.exe" in the copy. Allow it to overwrite files.
Steam users can make a copy of their Steam EAW folder and run the "OAW-GoG128Apr5.exe" in the copy.
In that copy folder If you run the "OAW2021Basic.exe" you should see this:
There are 17 theatres to select from, and that is the main point of the exercise
If the "OAW2021Basic.exe" crashes when you try to run it it will be because the runtime files are missing. If that happens then there is a folder named "OAW runtime set-up" which was added to the GoG EAW folder when you ran the "OAW-GoG128Apr5.exe". In that folder there is a "setup.exe" file.
Running it will allow you to install the runtime files and solve the problem.
The "OAW2021Full.exe" is a more complex version that allows you to make additional selections. You can still use it to load theatres, but you can also use it to select other things, such as gunsights.
Issues and Information
1. The joystick buttons do not work
Solution for both GoG and Steam: find the "dinput.dll" file in the EAW folder, and either delete it or re-name it.
2. What is the difference beween the GoG and Steam versions of EAW1.2 ?
AFAIK there is none. The Steam version has the same exe, dll and other files. It is the GoG version re-packaged for Steam. Some people have wasted $$ by buying both.
3. Will GoG or Steam fix problems such as crashes with careers and the difficulties with the mouse on the single mission parameters screen?
I think that this is very unlikely. From what we have learned Atari lost the EAW source code, I doubt that GoG or Steam have it. There are other versions which run on Windows 7 and 10 and do not have these problems. They do not have the stuff that GoG added to increase the frame rate, but I have no frame-rate problems running them in Windows 7 with the d3d windower, or in Windows 10 in Glide mode.
This screenie is from running one of them in Windows 7 in d3d but with no d3d windower. The eaw resolution was 1680x1050 and you can see the frame-rate of 57 fps.
Last edited by Jel September 2022