HOWTO: Pro Pinball: Timeshock! in Dosbox on Rpi3

[edmaul69]

@BobHarris the ripped original version of timeshock! works great for me. The web however requires an actual cd. You cant use a virtual disc.

[BobHarris]

@edmaul69 I can't find the version you are using. But I did find a physical copy on ebay, which should include the dos version so I bought that one (it was only 10 euros and included some booklets about the table). I hope I will get that one working. :-)

[edmaul69]

@BobHarris man i hate shareware. It has made buying dos games a big pain for me. Do you know how i can tell the difference on this game, including on the cd?

[BobHarris]

@edmaul69
I just try to look for an original boxed copy. I bought the game similar to this one : http://www.ebay.nl/itm/VTG-game-Pro-Pinball-Timeshock-Empire-interactive-1997-PC-CD-ROM-original-Box-/152476023038?hash=item23804778fe:g:OYsAAOSwxKtYBTJN

On the back of the box I read it includes both the Windows and the Dos version.

[BobHarris]

So I received Timeshock in the mail today. Edmaul69 is right: This version does work.
I used D-Fend reloaded to install the game first on my pc. (The only setting I had to change was the sound card: sound blaster pro.) Then I copied the installed contents to the empty folder pptime on my Retropie card. And I used Imgburn to create a bin and cue file from the game disc and added those two files to the folder. The last file I needed was the sh file.
Music works and sound effects work. But the jerky ball movement stays. I read the jerkyness is inherent to the DOS version, so I guess there is nothing to be done about that. (Changing the ingame graphics settings did not do anything.)
Update1: I also patched the game to version 1.07, which did iron out a few quirks..but the ball movement is still choppy.
Update2: I also tried many different configurations in the Dosbox conf file, but got no improvements.

[Djeremaille]

@bobharris @edmaul69

Hello,
I bought the GOG version and I'm very frustrated because only music is working... No FX...

I tried another version found on the web but same problem..

Can you give me an indication to find a good version ?

[BobHarris]

@djeremaille I looked online, but couldn't find it. So I resorted to ebay.

[Djeremaille]

@bobharris
It's ok I found it !
cue + bin. Installed it on my laptop, copied the files to the pi. Modified names of cue and bin to pptime. Edited script and cue file.
It's working good except when I use my gamepad, the game become unplayable after a minute. I mapped the joypad with ctrl+f1... With the keyboard, it's ok !

[BobHarris]

@djeremaille Good to hear! No Pi should be without the best pinball game ever. :-)

[edmaul69]

@djeremaille just an fyi they do not have to be named pptime. You can name them whatever you want.

[Djeremaille]

@edmaul69
Yes, I know that. Thank you !

[mi7chy]

If anyone is experiencing the issue where music works but they don't get sound here's the fix. Check your ~/.dosbox/dosbox-SVN.conf file and make sure your soundcard IRQ reads irq=5. If it's set to irq=7 you won't get sound other than music.

[Bobby]

the web is working too! if somebody know how to big race usa or fantastic journey, i'm interested.

[BobHarris]

I'm having a rather odd issue with this game.
During the time travel the light sequence is off completely. The lights are first supposed to go up and then downwards. In my game they're all over the place.
I patched it to version 1.07.
Does anybody know why this is happening?
(P.S. The music sounds bad, but that is just my crappy camera.)

UPDATE: never mind; it was a graphics setting in the Timeshock menu (details were set at 'low' , which has an effect on the light show).

[darky2003]

any youtube vid for this :s ?

[BobHarris]

@darky2003 No it's quite a niche subject matter. If you really want to get this going you'll have to read through this topic..all the info you need is in here.

[BobHarris]

@mi7chy You are right! This solves the issue with the GOG Timeshock edition.
Now if we could only get rid of the choppy ball movement..it doesn't seem to be a performance issue as lowering graphics/audio settings does not improve the ball movement.

[quicksilver]

@bobharris have you tried increasing the emulated CPU speed using cntrl+f12?

[BobHarris]

@quicksilver Thanks for the suggestion..I tried it, but it had no effect.

[edmaul69]

@bobharris check your dosbox-SVN.conf and set these settings

language=
machine=svga_s3
captures=capture
vmemsize=8
memsize=63

and

core=dynamic
cputype=pentium_slow
cycles=max 105%
cycleup=10
cycledown=20

the vmemsize or memsize, one of them actually needs to be added as it isnt in it originally. for cycles max or 100% for whatever reason only runs it at 95%.