🚀 go-pugleaf

 > Just to rule out any hardware concerns,
> can someone please tell me if the 2MB video ram I have is enough for a
> nicely running D1 and D2.  The first time I got into D1/D2, my computer I
> had a 4MB video card.  

D1 and D2 (the "official" versions anyway) just do software rendering, 
meaning you only need enough video memory for probably two frame buffers 
(a front buffer and a back buffer; the game will draw on one while 
displaying the other, then flip; at least, that's what I'm assuming it 
does).  If you're running in 320x200 mode with 256 colors, you need a 
whopping 64KB per frame buffer, or 128KB total video memory.  Jump up to 
640x480, and you need 600KB (round that up to 1MB).  So, the short 
answer is, 2MB video memory is fine for Descent 1 and 2.

After writing the above, I dug up my Descent box and manual and looked 
at the system requirements page.  Here's what it says...

"IBM/Tandy 100% compatible 386-33 or faster (486-33 w/8 Megs of RAM 
highly recommended) with 4 Megabytes of RAM.  DOS 5.0 or later. 
Supports Microsoft Mouse or compatibles.  Sound Cards Supported: Sound 
Blaster (Pro, 16, AWE32), Media Vision Pro-Audio Spectrum (Plus, 16, and 
Studio), Gravis Ultrasound, General MIDI, SCC-1.  1 or 2 Joysticks 
supported as well as ThrustMaster WCS, FCS, FLCS, Gravis Game Pad, 
Phoenix, Logitech Cyberman, CH Flightstick Pro and Wingman Extreme. 
Supports the Forte VFX-1 and Victormaxx CyberMaxx."

... no mention of video memory at all.

Also, note that we've gotten spoiled frame-rate wise in the past ten 
years.  My 100MHz DX4 system, well above the recommended system 
requirements only got 20-odd frames per second at 320x200.