Old Computer Appreciation Thread

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly I used lr-mess, added an lr-mess in configs/x1/emulators.cfg, placed the four x1 bios in my bios, roms and x1 directories and ran mess 0.151 software list roms in a .zip.
I'll find my last post and edit.

I am almost certain that doesn't work because after sept 2020 there was an update of lr-mess and my script for CDI didn't work anymore. It gave initializing. This was the old way of running things with lr-mess. Just like you do with "x1". We still don't actually know why it doesn't work anymore. And whats also a problem, of the old way, it uses a softlists. A database with filenames that only run if they are exactly the same. I see that in your logs.

To get it working we have to make a valarino alike script. Just what i did with P2000T.

It's very easy. I think I can edit one, because it's not on valerino's github.
So he didn't make this system.
Then we can try again.

EDIT : you can remove your logs, if you like.

Zering

@folly How do you make a script like that?

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly How do you make a script like that?

Do you want to do it yourself ?
It's very easy !

Zering

@folly I don't mind giving it a try if you explain to me how to do it.

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly I don't mind giving it a try if you explain to me how to do it.

goto :
/home/pi/RetroPie-Setup/scriptmodules/libretrocores
copy lr-mess-cdi.sh to lr-mess-x1.sh

replace all entry :

lr-mess-cdi

with

lr-mess-x1

Not, necessary, but you can remove the help :

rp_module_help=""

change this :

rp_module_name="Sharp x1"
rp_module_ext=".2d .d77 .d88 .1dd .dfi .hfe .imd .ipf .mfi .mfm .td0 .cqm .cqi .dsk"

change:

local _system="cdimono1"

into

local _system="x1"

change :

-cdrm

into

-flop1

Zering

@folly Well there's a first issue. The scriptmodules directory isn't there ^^

Edit : Never mind, I found it. Trying now.

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly Well there's a first issue. The scriptmodules directory isn't there ^^

Where is you RetroPie-Setup directory ?

Zering

@folly I found it, for some reason the scriptmodules directory wasn't visible.

Anyway I'm editing it and I'm wondering what to do about this :

rp_module_id="lr-mess-x1"
rp_module_name="Sharp X1"
rp_module_ext=".2d .d77 .d88 .1dd .dfi .hfe .imd .ipf .mfi .mfm .td0 .cqm .cqi .dsk"
rp_module_desc="MESS emulator ($rp_module_name) - MESS Port for libretro"
rp_module_help="ROM Extensions: $rp_module_ext\n\n
Put games in:\n
$romdir/x1\n\n
Put BIOS files in $biosdir:\n
cdimono1.zip\n\n
Convert .cue/.bin to .chd:\n
https://forums.launchbox-app.com/files/file/804-philips-cd-i-to-chd-batch-converter/ (windows only)"

Specifically the lines after the BIOS.

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly I found it, for some reason the scriptmodules directory wasn't visible.

Anyway I'm editing it and I'm wondering what to do about this :

rp_module_id="lr-mess-x1"
rp_module_name="Sharp X1"
rp_module_ext=".2d .d77 .d88 .1dd .dfi .hfe .imd .ipf .mfi .mfm .td0 .cqm .cqi .dsk"
rp_module_desc="MESS emulator ($rp_module_name) - MESS Port for libretro"
rp_module_help="ROM Extensions: $rp_module_ext\n\n
Put games in:\n
$romdir/x1\n\n
Put BIOS files in $biosdir:\n
cdimono1.zip\n\n
Convert .cue/.bin to .chd:\n
https://forums.launchbox-app.com/files/file/804-philips-cd-i-to-chd-batch-converter/ (windows only)"

Specifically the lines after the BIOS.

Just edited my post, you can remove the help totally, this can be removed :

ROM Extensions: $rp_module_ext\n\n
Put games in:\n
$romdir/x1\n\n
Put BIOS files in $biosdir:\n
cdimono1.zip\n\n
Convert .cue/.bin to .chd:\n
https://forums.launchbox-app.com/files/file/804-philips-cd-i-to-chd-batch-converter/ (windows only)

Now we can try to install !

Zering

@folly Okay then I'm trying an install now!

Edit : It works! I'm testing Xanadu now.

There are some sound issues though, I'll keep testing.

Edit 2 : Tested a few games. They seem to run full speed. Disk control is easy through 'File manager'. It even lets you pick discs that are inside a zip. Still no luck with Revolty II but I still haven't tried the Neo Kobe rom.
However the sound is a deal breaker. There's a constant loud click. Are you having the same experience?

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly Okay then I'm trying an install now!

Edit : It works! I'm testing Xanadu now.

There are some sound issues though, I'll keep testing.

Had to find the good bios.
I have it working too.

Zering

@folly How's your sound?

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly How's your sound?

oeps wrong computer !

Folly

@folly said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly How's your sound?

oeps wrong computer !

Tried galaga.
Sounds really good and I have stereo !

Zering

@folly Could my sound issues be caused by an error in my script?

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly Could my sound issues be caused by an error in my script?

No

Which rom did you tried ?

Zering

@folly Xanadu and Galaga mainly, all with the same sound issue.
Other than that I think this might be the best way to play those games. I think it may even be possible to play zipped Neo Kobe roms, eliminating the amount of clutter in ES.

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly Xanadu and Galaga mainly, all with the same sound issue.
Other than that I think this might be the best way to play those games. I think it may even be possible to play zipped Neo Kobe roms, eliminating the amount of clutter in ES.

I tried Balloon Fight, it took quite long to boot.
I was almost thinking it crashed.
But it runs good with good sound !

ecto

@zering

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood Ah well that's good to hear!

Speaking of recommendations, what games would you recommend for DOS? Outside of the obvious.

Dosbox is a really great tool, but getting DOS games to work is quite involved... Although I grew up with an Amiga (this you should try, too! It's an old computer and full of great games!) and a pc, it still is not an easy task!
Right now, I just want to leave some recommendations for some DOS games:

Alone in the Dark trilogy (that started the whole survival horror genre)
Blood (if you like ego shooters)
Dungeon Keeper (Real time strategy)
Heroes of Might and Magic (Strategy)
Mines of Titan (an RPG, quite old and a remake of Mars Saga on the C64)
Sim City 2000
Ultima (THE western RPG if there ever was one ;) especially 6, 7 and 7 part 2)
Wing Commander 1-4 (Space shooter simulation by Chris Robers who now works on Star Citizen
System Shock (was already mentioned, but I have to repeat the recommendation! ;)

Zering

@folly Could my BIOS be outdated then?
Which version are you using?

@ecto Thanks for the recommandations! I tried Blood briefly, I got my ass handed to me minutes after the beginning of the game, but I'll press on ^^ Are you meant to be able to look up and down? I feel like I should be able to, but can't. Ultima is awesome! I finished the first one a few months ago, intent on playing through the whole series in order but 2 is horrible, so I think I'll skip ahead to UItima 3 and then replay 4 and 5 (possibly my favourite 8-bit RPG). What little I played of 7 is incredible, but I managed to put myself in a position where progressing the main quest was impossible so I stopped ^^
System Shock is awesome, need to play more. And I do intend to try the Wing Commander games, although they seem fairly difficult!

So far I've only found a few games I couldn't get running on DOS, all games with weird installs : The Magic Candle series, Darklands and Wizardry 6 and 7 mainly. And Alien Trilogy won't let me mount its bloody CD!

The thing about the Amiga that's intimidating to me is the amount of games! I don't know where to start! I played some Turrican but that's about it.