Adaptation of games continues ..

[Petari]

i use a 30 go fujitsu hard disk drive. tmht 2 works well eventualy. i will receive my rgb interface and will see if there will be an improvement in game compatibility. also i will have a ct63 and of course, will be a beta tester for gamex games :-).
if your hd drivers crash with the ct63 i will try hd driver standard partitions on an hd drive and a compact flash in ide 2 with windows compatible partitions.
what is the configuration of your atari falcon?

My driver crashes not if CT is turned off. And you should play old ST games always with CT off. % of games which run with CT is under 10%.  The problem what may happen is less reliable work. And it is because of passive load of bus caused by add-on - it loads even when is turned off. But according to experiences of some people with CT most problems are not with hard disk reliability, but with some games, which fail even with CT off.
As I said, you should perform reliability tests.

My Falcon config:  regular Falcon with 14 MB RAM.  I use it mostly with 2 GB Sandisk CF card. With mine drivers. But testing with Hddriver and AHDI too.  Then, I test with Falcon & 4GB SCSI drives.  14 GB 2.5 inch IDE on Falcon, and even 4 GB Fujitsu IDE, classic hard disk.
All it is too much time consuming - to test all those combinations (ant there are others like Mega STE with SCSI drives, ST with ICD adapter and SCSI + ST(E) with SD (Satandisk), CF  etc...)  . Really too much diverse combination.

I will focus in future mostly on mine drivers and give minimal Hddriver support.

[johnz]

hi

today i've received two scsi zip drive ( 250 mo ) i wanted to know which driver i have to use with the zip? i think zip drive is more interesting than a cd rom drive.

[Petari]

If it is SCSI you need SCSI capable driver. So, Hddriver on Falcon. Or maybe AHDI.
On Mega STE also Hddriver, AHDI. But will be no cart. swap support - interface in machine supports not it.
It can wotk with my drivers on Mega STE too. But wait little for - I'm just doing some improvements.
You need ACSI driver for it on MSTE.

[èné]

Hello

I'd like to request 2 games:

1- BAAL (pasti available - atarimania); despite bad reviews, i think this game worth at least a look.. I completed the first level yesterday. Unfortunately, this was a crack version and the game got frozen before accessing level 2 (i should have known, crack version are most of the time 'dangerous'  ) - hence this request anyway

If possible, a trainer with unlimited fuel, unlimited lives and/or invulnerability would be very appreciated (the game is big and quite tough..)


2 - B.A.T 2 :  I'm not sure at all you'll be able to get anything with this one since i haven't found any pasti image.. Curiously, no english version seems to be available, only french (Bastard International and Elite) and german versions were found.

B.A.T 2 is big, i know that, still this is the kind of game that strongly needs a HD adaptation (for example in the game, if you wanna check your inventory, there are some disks swapping.. not very convenient

Another thing is that to emulate the MV16 soundcard , a cartridge is required; i grabbed it somewhere (.STC file) yet no sound were emulated (I use Steem btw).. I played B.A.T 1 with no cartridge and the sound worked perfectly, so i mean i cannot confirm that the .STC file is really needed..


Once again, I don't expect anything with this one , still i try my luck here


Thank you in advance for trying any of these two games anyway    - all the best

[Petari]

I looked Baal and Bat 2. Bat 2 should be not too hard, even if is on 5 floppies. And I will do English version.

Considering Baal : most spread crack what is on Vectronix and SuperGau missing 6 files. Automation one is probably OK, but I will not bother with checking it - you may if want play right today it  I already extracted all files from Pasti images, so need yet to compose loader, do package and test it little ... Game uses nasty loading/protection system.

In exchange I expect that you play Baal complete, until end (there will be unlim. lives option) and report back here about it.

Ah, and there is Crazy Cars 3 waiting for you and tests 

[èné]

Thank you Petari

Bat 2 should be not too hard, even if is on 5 floppies. And I will do English version.

Only english version or english version + french version (any way, that's fine of course)

Automation one is probably OK, but I will not bother with checking it - you may if want play right today it  I already extracted all files from Pasti images, so need yet to compose loader, do package and test it little ... Game uses nasty loading/protection system.

As the game is quite big and that i don't wanna face another bug,  i will wait till the adaptation is finished - no doubt

In exchange I expect that you play Baal complete, until end (there will be unlim. lives option) and report back here about it.

I will post the end screenshot, no problem 

[Petari]

I posted Baal on 'fromhd' page.
Did not test it much - only on level 1. I spent too much time with protections, checksums - there was even cartridge presence test in game !
In any case, all data is there. Problems may appear only if there is some hidden additional protection on later levels.

I recommend that you save gamestate when about to finish level 1 - with gamex, not with not working ingame save.
Then must not play it from beginning if crashes. Well - not so simple, you need to send me that snapshot file, so I can put corrections in it ...
Point is not in end screenshot, but to share some tasks - I can not test so much games alone.

Considering Bat 2 : may do French version too. It depends on your cooperation 

[èné]

I posted Baal on 'fromhd' page.

Great

Did not test it much - only on level 1. I spent too much time with protections, checksums - there was even cartridge presence test in game !
In any case, all data is there. Problems may appear only if there is some hidden additional protection on later levels.

I recommend that you save gamestate when about to finish level 1 - with gamex, not with not working ingame save.
Then must not play it from beginning if crashes. Well - not so simple, you need to send me that snapshot file, so I can put corrections in it ...

I don't know anything about that Gamex thing (what's the purpose of it, what it can do..  ) I am an average user who just use Steem and that's all   
I will upload the save gamestate  when level 1 is completed anyway.

Point is not in end screenshot, but to share some tasks - I can not test so much games alone.

I can guess that. When I said I will post the end screenshot, that meant in the same time reporting any bug, stuff like that. If everything is ok in the game, will just upload the end screenshot (meaning the adaptation is fine)

Considering Bat 2 : may do French version too. It depends on your cooperation 

As i already told you in pm, I played and completed quite lot of games. I will be happy to help but I have no technical background. Can you tell me more about what you mean?

[Petari]

Some explanations, which will be useful for others too :

Gamex self is system for having option to abort playing and saving gamestate, then later continuing at that point - fast and with only couple mouse clicks. It is pretty much universal - even not tied to hard disks - means that may do it with floppies too.

But replacing loadings from floppy with hard disk loads is something what can not be solved 'universal' (even if some called it 'universal L.S.)

My intention was to do hard disk adaptations working fast and not using too much RAM. Good thing is that it can be fine combined with Gamex considering RAM usage. In practice it means that games working on 512KB machines can be usually (99% cases) adapted for hard disk run + gamex on machines with 1MB RAM . Plus 512KB is used to store hard disk driver, buffers, filesystem diver, TOS 1.04 core  + saved actual TOS (built in TOS in machine) state during play, or complete low 512KB, containing game when exiting with gamex key (F9 usually).

But all it has price: in first place economic RAM usage - so no resident SW, large driver cashes and similar. Then, it is done for real Ataris, with hard disks. Running under emulators is possible, but not 'just like that' .
We use to say:  if nothing on World helps read usage     : http://atari.8bitchip.info/GamexUsage.html

For Steem you need latest Pasti - copy pasti.dll in Steem main DIR. Then enable it in Floppy settings. For beginners is best to DL prepared image files : http://atari.8bitchip.info/DiskImgPP1.html . Then depack it in Steem main dir (or dir set for images) .
Otherwise you need to do like with real hard disks:  partitioning, installing hard disk driver etc ...

When have bootable image it is easy:  just reset emulator and it will boot from image file. Then Baal and many others will work under Steem. Similar is with Hatari.

Ene:  I wonder on your settings:  Steem with 1MB ?  Usually for adaptations using Ramdisk (where no Pasti needed) 2MB is min RAM.
For me Steem snapshot is good too. But Gamex one is shorter .
Testing is very important - especially by games 'pathologically' protected, like Baal . Never can be sure that there is some + protection which activates only in later gameplay.


I working on Bat 2 currently. Will take little more time. And I need link where can DL French version - can not find it.  Don't seek Pasti . ST, MSA is OK, as this game had different protection (serial port dongle).

[èné]

I give up..

Call me stupid but i can't make it work

Pasti.dll is in Steem main directory and is enabled
I downloaded the '1GB img'  and put it in Steem main directory
Memory is now 2mb

If i get it right, Steem should automatically recognize these settings but I'm not sure. I reset but still no change (Baal doesn't want to load).

I also tried to download the ASCI autoboot driver. All of this stuff is completly new for me. I'm not gonna focus this talk for days  , I might try again later


I will get and upload the B.A.T 2 french version


Edit: Irfanview has associated .img files on my pc (what i didn't know) and I didn't realized at first the '1GB img' was a virtual image with stuff inside !!    Anyway, there are mainly games inside. I am still trying to run Baal which doesn't load for some reasons. I sent you pm with screenshot attached describing the reason why the adaptation cannot load, I don't know if you got it. Seems a file is missing. I'm gonna re-read your page carefully and try to figure out things myself.

Meanwhile, I've uploaded the french version of B.A.T 2 (cracked versions) : http://uploading.com/files/cb7e14b8/BAT%2B2%2BFR.zip/

[èné]

I am slowly progressing  

My pasti.dll was outdated, there were no Hard Disk option in the pasti settings (I didn't know, Steem Engine is no more active for years..)


So now pasti in enabled, Hard Drive is enabled


File Image Path: I put the 1GB_IDE.img file .. Is that correct  


Size in Mb (5Mb - 1Gb)

Set size: by default Steem set size to 5 mb


I then clicked on AUBACD07.prg and pressed I for install

I got this message: Installed


I reset Steem

Now at the boot I got this:

" ACSI hd driver v0.7 for DOS part's
By  P. Putnik, 2008. Use with BigDOS !

Pasti  Virt Hard Disk
Capacity: 5MB

Partitions : 1
D : 0MB "


I tried to launch Baal, I have now a corrupted screenshot then nothing  

[Anemos]

i will test the game soon in my STE ..only in to "Baal" game you have the problem?

Edit: the game run fine on my STE 4MB from Ultrasatadisk

[èné]

Level 2 with Automation version..

Petari, I cannot run your stuff, so cannot make compatible snapshot I'm sorry


(@ Anemos: Thanks for the check)

[Petari]

Ene, you need to CAREFULLY read instructions. I wrote 'latest' Pasti . I talked about preset images, and you then install driver, and wrong kind of driver which is not good for gaming ...

To achieve real hard disk emulation under Steem you need some steps more:  Enter disk settings menu, find there Pasti settings. Most right card is for hard disk settings - there must enable it and select proper image file (1 GB one in this case, hopefully not damaged) - actually you need to depack it again (or DL if deleted RAR) to restore correct driver.
Best is that you change usual hard disk of Steem (GEMDOS emul.) from C to some higher (I use H) in disk settings, hard disk . Then real emulated will become C, what will result in loading Desktop etc, from image file and not Windows DIR.  H will be good for file transfer onto image file (new DLs as Baal, BAT 2 ).
When all it is set, you need only to 'reset' Steem. Then it will load correct driver etc.  Set RAM to 4MB.

Just to add that not only my adaptations need such bothering with Pasti and Steem: there are games which work not from GEMDOS emulated hard disk in Steem or Hatari :  for instance Uninvited, Shadowgate (both is made to be runnable form hard disks by authors, in original release) etc. + some serious SW too.

Considering BAT 2 :  I did adaptation. It works well with all 5 floppy images. Was more problems than expected, because of incomplete crack and other things + not so easy to fix for Falcon.  You will find 2 launchers. START is for 1MB Ataris, so you use START2M with Steem, since have a lot of RAM. And read suplied README ....

I DL-ed FR versions what you posted. Just to note: already have one of them, Vectronix. It has corrupted first floppy image and Creation crashes - on real ST too . Will check later 'your' images ....

[èné]

Thank you very much for your detailed explanations and sorry to make you busy again  - i'm afraid i really suck at technical

I'm gonna try a very last time, following your instructions step by step - if I have still no result after that, you won't hear of me anymore 


BTW, I finished Baal with Automation version (almost unplayable mess at the end - how the hell could the programmers seriously think that gamers be able to succeed back in the days, I mean with no snapshot save function, the game is literally impossible to complete (difficulty is over-abused))

but most of all, there's a serious bug in the game (level 2); i don't think it's due because this is a cracked version as this bug is also known in the Amiga version (briefly, one of the generators is indestructible; I won't go into more detail but you have to destroy these generators to be able to progress in the game) - there's a tip to deal with it but that's very difficult to acheive..

I'm telling you that as this bug is certainly in your adaptation too (unfortunately, nothing can be done about it since it's kind of error programming)

Anyway, if I can deal with your configuation, I won't mind to give another go with Baal (this time with your adaptation) and upload a snapshot from level 1 to level 2 (for some reason, i kinda like this game ) - This way, you could check if you can do something about that buggy generator  (have its coordinate)


About B.A.T 2 : big thanks  wish i could test this game (hopefully, i will play it)