HOWTO: Pro Pinball: Timeshock! in Dosbox on Rpi3

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%.

edmaul69

This post is deleted!

BobHarris

@edmaul69 I made the changes and tested them on both the GOG version as well as the version I created from the original cd. It did not improve ball movement. (version 1.00 or patched to 1.07 did not make a difference either.) Hitting Ctrl F11 did make the ball skip around a lot more, but hitting ctrl F12 could only make it as good as I've seen it before.

Are you positive ball movement in your game is completely smooth? I mean it's quite playable, but I do notice the ball skipping very small distances, most noticably when the ball doesn't have a lot of speed. But I'm sure the skipping is small enough that it would be hard to capture with my camera.
This topic also describes the difference in ball movement between the DOS version and the Windows 1.20 version:
https://www.gog.com/forum/pro_pinball_series/windows_version_of_timeshock
I have the Timeshock 1.20 kickstarter edition (I was a backer for the Ultra version) for Windows on my laptop and there is zero jerky ball movement. (Actually I just checked and I don't see anything about '1.20', the kickstarter windows version shows '1.08')
But I just like playing the game on my hdtv so much more.

If you have completely smooth movement then I'd really like to compare settings:
https://ufile.io/qvu32 (my dosbox-SVN.conf file) I don't know if mem_size=63 was a typo or not, I also tried 64, but did not make a difference.

I have not overclocked my Pi 3. I don't think it would make a difference. Otherwise I think lowering the resolution should have improved ball movement and 4 balls at the same time should have worsened it, but no such things happened.

In game settings:
Table view: widest
Graphics:
Screen flipping: Enabled
Resolution: 1024x768
Colours: 256+
Detail: Custom ( -> Half speed, medium, maximum, minimum, disabled, 100%)
Dot matrix: Intelligent transparent
Nudge scrolling: Two way
Audio:
Mode: Stereo
Quality: Medium
Music restart: Quick

edmaul69

@bobharris vmemsize=63 was not a mistake. take it off of 64. there is an issue with going above 63. i am using a 1.00 version from the web. here are my dosbox config files and a video starting with the settings im using:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1wJIpN9JoaMUvLEmaWZp4aBLPdXbvA5su

BobHarris

I copied your config file to my Pi, but I don't see an improvement.
I added a video of me playing, but I can't really see the judder in the YT video..you either have to see it yourself on the tv, or directly record video from the tv. Both things are impossible, so I will just settle with a bit of judder. I guess Cunning developments patched it out of the Windows version, but kept it in the Dos version.

edmaul69

@bobharris and as for pro pinball the web i couldnt get the version i had to work because it couldnt detect the “cd being in the drive” the exodos version worked though.

BobHarris

@edmaul69 I never really got into the other 3 tables. To me Timeshock got everything perfect..the complexity, the layout, the music, the voice and I especially like all the ways you can prevend losing the ball (the 'lucky' slot on the left, magnosave on the right, ballsaver, pin in the middle, nudging).

A Former User

Hi,

i installed Timeshock! as you're Manual.
I don't understand how to create the startup script.
Im connected via ssh from my mac with Terminal, then i copy

/opt/retropie/emulators/dosbox/bin/dosbox
-c "@mount c $HOME/RetroPie/roms/pc/pptime"
-c "@imgmount d $HOME/RetroPie/roms/pc/pptime/pptime.cue -t iso"
-c "@c:"
-c "@pinball"

to the Terminal . After hit Enter the following Message comes:
Exit to error: Can't init SDL Unable to open a console terminal

This can't be correct. Can you help me how i can create the Startup File?

Thank you very much!!!

edmaul69

@Andreash Do it this way and save yourself the trouble. You may need to edit the +dosbox.sh file for this to work if it isnt setup to run .conf files. Also make sure your files are named and in the correct locations as listed in info below. You need to create a file called Timeshock!.conf in /home/pi/Retropie/roms/pc/ in that file add info below and save. Reboot emulationstation.

[autoexec]
mount c /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/pc/pptime
imgmount d /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/pc/pptime/pptime.cue -t iso 
c:
pinball

quicksilver

I know this topic is a few months old, but was curious if anyone has tried running the CD version via windows 3.1 in dosbox and if that might take care of the ball judder?

BobHarris

@quicksilver I don't think so, but I'd love to see someone try.
I've played a lot of Timeshock on my Pi now and have gotten used to the small amount of judder, it doesn't bother me anymore really.

quicksilver

@bobharris I will try it out and see what happens. I just got win 3.1 setup through dosbox on my pi and have CD games working well. I just need to find the CD version of this game and I'll try it and report back.

BobHarris

@quicksilver You should be able to find it somewhere. If you live in the Netherlands I could send you my disc (dont need it anymore)..otherwise postage would be expensive.

quicksilver

@bobharris im sure I can locate a copy. I'm in the US so you probably wouldn't want to send me yours. Thanks for the offer though!

BobHarris

@quicksilver I just looked it up and it's not too expensive, so let me know if you can't find it.

quicksilver

@bobharris I was able to locate a bin/cue image of the game. It doesn't look like the install through windows 3.1 is any different than straight through dos. Some games have a different install process through windows and use higher quality audio/video etc. Timeshock it seems to be the same. The slight jitter with the ball is still present unfortunately.

BobHarris

@quicksilver
https://www.gog.com/forum/pro_pinball_series/windows_version_of_timeshock

Here they are talking about how a certain windows patch removes the jitter. But I've only read about patch 1.20b, I've never seen it.