Old Computer Appreciation Thread

Zering

@adambegood I can't seem to be able to mount that directory and playbane.bat just loads forever.

You didn't have to install the game at all?

Turned off EMS, still no luck. I'm not certain what we're doing different.

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

So if i use the output I can bulk generate.

Isn't that a magnifisent idea ;-)

(EDIT : I see now that the outputs are not what I hoped they would be, will give it a shot anyway.)

I'am a bit behind I see, very busy with the script and I can tell you I made huge steps.
I think I can get it working !

Well, there are more supported media, from the second line. There the "x1"misses. Generating that is kind of a problem. For now I stick with the first lines only that can handle cartridge,dumps,disks and tapes. EDIT: cdrom too)

x1               floppydisk1      (flop1)    .2d   .d77  .d88  .1dd  .dfi  .hfe  .imd  .ipf  .mfi  .mfm  .td0  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  
                 floppydisk2      (flop2)    .2d   .d77  .d88  .1dd  .dfi  .hfe  .imd  .ipf  .mfi  .mfm  .td0  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  
                 floppydisk3      (flop3)    .2d   .d77  .d88  .1dd  .dfi  .hfe  .imd  .ipf  .mfi  .mfm  .td0  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  
                 floppydisk4      (flop4)    .2d   .d77  .d88  .1dd  .dfi  .hfe  .imd  .ipf  .mfi  .mfm  .td0  .cqm  .cqi  .dsk  
                 cartridge        (cart)     .bin  .rom  
                 cassette         (cass)     .wav  .tap

This is now my output from my script (just a few) (output of 4 string arrays joined) :

Driver zorba (Zorba (Modular Micros)): zorba -flop1 .d77 .d88 .1dd .dfi .hfe .imd .ipf .mfi .mfm .td0 .cqm .cqi .dsk
Driver zvezda (Zvezda): zvezda -dump .ach .frz .plusd.prg .sem .sit .sna .snp .snx .sp .z80 .zx
Driver zx80 (ZX-80): zx80 -cass .wav .o .80
Driver zx81 (ZX-81): zx81 -cass .wav .p .81 .tzx
Driver zx97 (ZX97): zx97 -cass .wav .p .81 .tzx

I have to clean it up a bit. Then I can use this "data" to create the files and insert the data into the text.

Zering

@folly Is there a chance that with your bulk scripts, because of what we're seeing with the x1, compatibility won't be as good as with individual scripts?

@AdamBeGood Got Ultima 7 running, EMS was the issue. I think I may try a .sh file for that one.

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly Is there a chance that with your bulk scripts, because of what we're seeing with the x1, compatibility won't be as good as with individual scripts?

@AdamBeGood Got Ultima 7 running, EMS was the issue. I think I may try a .sh file for that one.

I don't think so. The best media is on the first line.
In this example the data is exactly the same as what we edited yesterday.

Tweak settings can indeed differ per system. But the valerino scripts have no tweaks in them. They are always the same. So when the scripts are made then everybody, that knows how, can tweak per induvidual system.

There will arise problems I think, but if we don't do this, we stick on the same level. So we have to try, thats how we learn.

EDIT: there can be compatibility issues with the supported extensions. I am using the data of the "standalone MAME emulator". Perhaps the supported extensions can differ. But lr-mess is compiled from the same package though.

AdamBeGood

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood I can't seem to be able to mount that directory and playbane.bat just loads forever.

You didn't have to install the game at all?

Turned off EMS, still no luck. I'm not certain what we're doing different.

I had to create the directory - and you will need to change the mounting instructions because you're on a Pi, this was on my PC. So you'd have to create the "save" directory and then it would be:

mount a /home/pi/RetroPie/roms/wizar6/save - floppy

I think....

Is your directory called wizar6? If not, maybe try another source to get the game, there aren't too many options so probably worth ruling that out.

Zering

@adambegood I tried that.
It doesn't work. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I'd wager it has something to do with the install.
I'm not letting this go, I'll read up on how to install from multiple floppies in DOSBox.

AdamBeGood

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood I tried that.
It doesn't work. I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I'd wager it has something to do with the install.
I'm not letting this go, I'll read up on how to install from multiple floppies in DOSBox.

But I didn't touch an install! Literally just "playbane", and then I had to mess with the Save folder but that was all. So strange.

Zering

@adambegood Installing multiple floppies in DOSBox

Sounds like I need .iso files.
Could it be different on PC? Maybe that's why you didn't have to mess about with an install.

AdamBeGood

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@adambegood Installing multiple floppies in DOSBox

Sounds like I need .iso files.
Could it be different on PC? Maybe that's why you didn't have to mess about with an install.

The game that you download is already installed I think, playbane knows to look on the C: drive when you run it (when you go Game Configuration, it has the details of the game folder populated). Well in the version I have anyway, from a site with only 7 letters in its name (hope that is an obscure enough reference).

I've never had anything work in DOSBox on PC and then not on Pi, I always test there.

(Apart from one time, but that was a Permissions thing and not relevant.)

Weird.

ecto

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

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).

I just remembered that I played Ultima 3 on the Amiga and it is worlds ahead the pc version (which is in CGA). There are some patches around to make it better on pc, but it probably is easier to just play on the Amiga. The same goes for 4 and 5, although 4 can also be played on ScummVM.

Generally I'd suggest to play any compatible games on ScummVM than on DOS, just to have an easier life ;) (So all the Sierra and Lucasfilm games)

Zering

@adambegood I'll keep trying, I'll figure it out eventually. Thanks for trying.

@ecto Indeed, Ultima 3's Amiga port looks pretty spectacular! I'm torn between playing that or the patched version on DOS. From what I remember, it's as easy as patching the DOS version and then copying the game directory into the pc directory on the pi. Decisions, decisions...

I'll add that one to the Amiga list anyway.

From what I read, Ultima 4 and 5 on Amiga lack some functionalities, like being able to import your character from 4 into 5, but I'm not sure if that's actually true.

Folly

First file generation test is succeeded.
1676 systems are created !
WOW

Now I have to implement the actual lr-mess script text for generating the scripts.

Zering

@folly Good lord ^^

Are you seeing pc6001 anywhere in those cores?

Folly

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

@folly Good lord ^^

Are you seeing pc6001 anywhere in those cores?

yes it should be generated (.first line will be supported, for now)

pc6001           cartridge1       (cart1)    .bin  
                 cartridge2       (cart2)    .cas  .p6

Zering

@folly I would be VERY excited to try that out, I tried setting up that system on mess the old way many times and failed miserably.

ecto

@zering said in Old Computer Appreciation Thread:

From what I read, Ultima 4 and 5 on Amiga lack some functionalities, like being able to import your character from 4 into 5, but I'm not sure if that's actually true.

I'm not sure either. I found a quick reference Card for Amiga and itmentiones the transfer of characters. It should be possible but it honestly isn't important.

Ultima 3 was the first game I bought for the Amiga and man was I disappointed at first! The graphics were so bad (in comparison to Defender of the Crown) and there was so much english text that (at the time) I didn't understand. I had the whole border of the monitor full of Post-Its just to remember some key hints.... ahhh, the good old times! ;)

Zering

@ecto They're not the most accessible games if you struggle with the language ^^
It reminds me of my first experience with Ultima. I'd heard of the series and was interested so I made it a point to try one of them first thing once I got my first Pi. I got ripped off by a vendor, said the thing was full of games but there was like ten ^^ One of them was Ultima 4 for the Master System, so I jumped on it, and created a character.

Lo and behold, I rolled a warrior, and ended up on one of those islands in the east, with seemingly no way off and nothing to do.
I don't know why I returned to that game so many times because it took a dozen attempts because I enjoyed it and I utterly hated it the first time.

Edit : There was no german version of Ultima III on Amiga?

ecto

@zering I just found this

. Great stuff!

Zering

@ecto I saw that before! It's pretty great!

The FM Towns and X68000 versions look pretty gorgeous.

Sadly I can't get the games to run on lr-mess-fmtowns_cd and the X68000 is in japanese.

I was playing the X1 version yesterday and it's pretty funny, it's so lo-fi ^^

I'm going to have to play some Ultima now because of you :p

The music in V is particularly awesome :

Folly

I have to do the final checks.
The generated scripts look very good.

Added cdrom too.
Now there are 2164 systems !!!

EDIT : it takes about 6 minutes to generate