Wing Commander on DOSBOX Pi4

mbrett

@jamrom2 My Dosbox version says installed via binary July 31st, 2021. Retropie says I'm running the latest binary. I don't know what version that is.

Ashpool

@mbrett I guess what @jamrom2 meant was in line of "what fork of dosbox" have you installed ( Dosbox versions available in retropie ).

mbrett

@Ashpool Just plain old Dosbox. If one of the others works better, I can try with those.

jamrom2

@mbrett because you didn't post any information on your build, I'm going to hope that it's a new build, which will include the newer SDL2 package. If that's the case...

DosBox_Staging is the best pure DosBox version. Depending on if you're running a Pi3b or a Pi4, you can get very good performance out of the newer Dos games like Wing Commander. You have access to many options via a game specific config file and it installs and sets up like DosBox.

Lr-dosbox-pure is an Libretro fork of DosBox that allows you to run the whole game in one zipped file. Works great on older Dos games, also allows you to use overlays and shaders like every other Libretro core.

So not sure where you are at, but those are your choices for DosBox. The newer the game, lean towards using Staging

mbrett

@jamrom2 I have a Pi4, which I keep up-to-date. I'll look into DosBox_Staging and get back to you.

Thanks.

jamrom2

@mbrett no problem. Let me know if you need help setting up a game. Once you get the hang of it, it's very easy.

Again, with a Pi4, you have more options with graphics that are in specific sections of the config file.

You'll see what I mean once it's installed and working

mbrett

@jamrom2 OK, I tried Dosbox_Staging, and that gets me into game with mouse and keyboard control. But...the game speed seems to be double. Every time I click the mouse, it appears I'm clicking twice. When I enter into missions, it says I've already made a new highscore and put in my last name and callsign. I can't get past that.

jamrom2

@mbrett since you have it running, you're probably familiar with the config file. You can be specific with the settings of each section, not just adding in the exec lines to run it.

You have to play around with the cpu settings ... Number specific, auto, dynamic etc. That section will help tweak what you're seeing.

Did you try lr_dosbox_pure?

https://github.com/dosbox-staging/dosbox-staging/blob/main/README

nemo93

@mbrett I'd recommend you refer to the config files examples provided on the wiki. There's one entry for Wing Commander 2 and you can use the same for Wing Commander.

DOS is an old operating system quite unpredictable :-) Hence why it's difficult to have one config file which applies to all games or softwares. With DOS be prepared to have specific config per game. The Get Started section can help you setting things up properly.

Ashpool

@nemo93 said in Wing Commander on DOSBOX Pi4:

DOS is an old operating system quite unpredictable :-) Hence why it's difficult to have one config file which applies to all games or softwares. With DOS be prepared to have specific config per game.

Oh well, those memories of endlessly tweaking the autoexec.bat/config.sys to ones taste/need... that one here was (just the menu-part of my config.sys) one of the last ones I've had, earlier ones had much more entries (mostly) for particular games. It was some form of art and always fun to see the puzzled looks on our class mates faces if we started up such nerdy geek-talk ;] Ah, those where the days...

[MENU]
menuitem=OLDGMS, XWing  (EMM386: EMS D=128, MOUSE)
submenu=NMS,   EMM386 NOEMS (Choice of CD&Mouse)
submenu=EMS,   EMM386 EMS   (Choice of CD&Mouse)
submenu=BASIC, FLAT (!EMM386, Choice of CD&Mouse)
menuitem=DCK, Doom Editor (!CD)
menuitem=WIN, BattleIsle III (Windows Setup)
menuitem=NET, Frag'Em! (DoomNetSetup)
menudefault=DCK,50

Edit: In a way setting up a good dosbox config (and with/for the various flavours thereof (dosbox-x vs. regular, don't know if CE and staging also uses some modified config style compared to vanilla dosbox) is comparable to it ;D

mbrett

@jamrom2 I did try lr_dosbox_pure. Everything works great...EXCEPT the only keyboard buttons that work are 'b' & 'd'. I think. The keyboard I'm using is my PC keyboard, and it works fine with Pi in general.

I'm going to investigate those config files with Staging and see if they solve issues.

jamrom2

@mbrett you can use "pure". Press "scroll lock" on your keyboard and it will disable "game focus". Keyboard should work fine then.

If you use a BT mini keyboard, you have to remap that command to another button. I used "page up" via the Retroarch menus.

Try it before you use Staging.