Game adaptions bug reports

[complicated]

Chess Champion 2175 (eng/fr versions)

Deprotection does not work. Game is not playing at full strenght, it moves and gives away pieces like a newbie. Since i own the original i have tried to type in the correct word from the manual at startup but it does not solve the issue. I have reported this before but i guess chess games is not a high priority, however this game should be  removed from Game Adaption list since it`s unplayable at the moment. Would be nice to have a working version since its the strongest chess engine ever released on Atari ST. If someone want to give it a try i would love to help with the testing.

Chess Master 2000

When running the game at 16mhz the sound/speech speed doubles. At 8mhz the sound/speech works fine. Not a big thing but worth reporting.

Last Ninja Remix (Ninja Remix)

At very rare occasaions the game will not start but instead gives a black blank screen. This bug is so rare and can happened like once in 20 which makes it very hard to reproduce, but its definately there.


All testing done with:

Atari Mega STE
TOS 2.06 Swedish
4MB RAM
Gigafile
PP driver 1.01

[Petari]

Thank you very much complicated man. I guess I should delete your post because it has bug:  'adaptions' instead adaptations   

OK, let's be serious. It is clear (for those who did read what i written on pages for adaptation download) that I don't claim that all it is flawless. That I expect feedback, for instance because it will help quality, and I can add letter C in table for particular game. The situation is that feedback is low. There are few people who does it, and many of it was fixed, maybe added something new.  Still, about some 80% of adapts. is not tested enough detailed. Oh yeah, I must be the laziest man on planet because not doing it . Or maybe ... should I myself do all it ? With over 1700 games ?  And here we are at games self, which were sold, and for not little money.
Example: Flight Simulator 2 - I paid 100 DEM for it (1 SS floppy + smaller book with instructions) . We can calculate that it is about 130 Euros, considering inflation. Well that game is flawless, I did not see, did not read about any problem.  But there are commercial games with bugs, and there is actually lot of them. It was written a lot about problems with 4 MB RAM, STE, TOS versions etc. Here can read fresh thread about regional restrictions, and yes, there is bad code in it by some. And that was not free, game prices were often pretty high.  Then some serious bugs which prevent that game can be finished.
Of course, complicated and most of Atari ST retro people do not care about that. They want all it on silver plate, fast, and all by their ideas. That's not gonna happen. This is mutual thing - you need to give something, not only to take. And testing, feedback is most important in it. 
I proposed some 12 years ago to open special, interactive WEB page/database for all Atari ST SW, with details about how it works - on diverse configurations (TOS versions, ST(E) models, storage, driver SW ..., emulators) and that should include all releases - original/official, so called cracks, hard disk adapts. and images of originals (so STX, SPC ... images - they may have errors too, and it must be not SW for imaging error, but just bad condition of like 40 years old floppy original, or even something bad in original ) . That can be done only by mass contribution.  And what was the reaction of - Atari forum admins/moderators, some groups ?  Something like ' petari want's it to promote, advert his releases'  .  Really moronic. But I understand it now - they just started from self, thinking that I have same approach - to promote my stuff, not caring about what is good for whole community, for quality . Here I could talk about plenty of nonsense, even lies from forum staff, members, but this is already too long .
So, let finish this 'bugs in adaptions' talk:  will not remove anything from site because some not fixed protection problem - it is expected that people will write about problems, and then I can go on fixing it.
In case of CC 2175 it is not error in making it work from hard disk, and not even copy protection problem. It is so called manual protection. Which has something +, hidden (such was with Carrier Command, and I needed to play it some time to see that after some 1 hour of play it stops).  As I'm poor chess player (and did not play it at all for over 30 years) I'm not able to judge how good computer plays.  I will look about it - what will need more time, some hard tracing ...  And hardest part: someone who will test it then (and soon after I ask) - yeah, very unfair - I ask others to do it soon, while I not doing it soon :-) Or maybe those 2 things are not on same level of difficulty, pardon complication ?
Nowhere says that my adapts. have corrections for everything for case when it runs at 16 MHz on MSTE . That may need plenty of time to correct playback code.  And I don't have it because must write very long explanations ..
And don't forget that there are other accelerators, running with different speed, even different CPU - should I make corrections for all it ? Nope, and owners of them are usually aware that need to set it to regular ST(E) mode when playing games .
I made corrections in some games - good games, when it improved gaming experience - like Uridium. And that had sense, much more than some speech fixing for special situation, involving max 5 % of users.

And finally that not starting in once of 20 cases - calling it my bug - really good way to motivate me ...
There is plenty of games with that problem. And in most of cases it is poor code in games (IKBD, MFP code mostly).  Working from hard disk has no affect on that.   And something more: it may be age of users computer - and we know that Atari ST(E)s are very old now. That makes work less reliable.  And I got already, mostly in last 2 years problem reports for games (their HD adapts.) which work well for most . So, it may be only: something is very badly set, or some HW problem. And it will be just worse in near future.
Solution: MiSTer and similar .  And more bad: they still work not perfect. Need more work on surely not simple emulation code.  Atari ST family is not simple thing. Doing game hard disk adaptations is not simple thing. Dealing with people is not simple thing. Especially with those who just demanding, not taking care about details. And yes, details are on what most of time and effort goes.
So, pls. try to do it better next time.   Now I need 1 week break from keyboard 

[complicated]

Just to be clear about my thread. It was not about blaiming your adaptions or saying they are buggy. I dont`t have time to play as much as i would like but most of the adaptions i have tested works perfectly and the work you have done and doing for the Atari community is amazing.

My point was i only want to help with things i spot along the way. I know you want us to report things not working correctly and that is why i am trying to do here.

About Chess Champion 2175 i`m willing to help with the testing if you wish to tackle that hard manual protection. I`m not a super chess player but good enough to see how strong the computer plays and it will only take me a few secs to a minute or something to find out.

And about Ninja Remix i doubt it`s a hardware issue since i happened both on my Mega STE with TOS 2.06 and on my normal STE with TOS 1.62. On my Mega STE ive just recapped the PSU with high quality panasonic capacitors and my STE just got a new PSU so having hardware issues on both does not seem logic, atleast not when they work fine otherwise. But since Ninja Remix is such a high quality game, perhaps one of the best maybe you or JY can make an updated HAGA version and see if it fixes that rare blank black screen thing?

[Petari]

I looked in Chess Champ 2175 - no sign of any extra check in code for comparing entered word. Maybe it activates after little longer play ?  Anyway, I made 3 versions for test - one is with original disk image used, second is with original game program, just on better floppy format, and third is with deactivated word check.
Chess Ch. 2175 test v.  - details in README.TXT
And strange thing: it always asks for word toby , so need to type in that.  If there is later check, it may need more tracing. Savestate at that would be useful for it. Btw. can DL manual in PDF format.

I started Ninja Remix about 30 times, and it worked always - mostly at 16 MHz on Mega STE .
So, it may be some HW problem really - and I did not mean problem with capacitors in PSU (btw. in my Mega STE are still original ones, looks that they used very good quality ones). There are hundreds of components, and every one can degrade. And it can be just some contact error. Recommended is to remove socketed chips, clean contacts ... Connectors too.
Updated v. may come if JY decides to deal with. And that will not solve your problem, 99% .
Ninja Remix page updated
Made new YT video - sorry for my poor playing. Not exactly my kind of ...

[complicated]

I looked in Chess Champ 2175 - no sign of any extra check in code for comparing entered word. Maybe it activates after little longer play ?  Anyway, I made 3 versions for test - one is with original disk image used, second is with original game program, just on better floppy format, and third is with deactivated word check.
Chess Ch. 2175 test v.  - details in README.TXT
And strange thing: it always asks for word toby , so need to type in that.  If there is later check, it may need more tracing. Savestate at that would be useful for it. Btw. can DL manual in PDF format.

I have just tested all your "test" versions and none of them works. It only takes a few moves for the computer to start giving away important pieces. Do you want me to make any savestates when computers starts playing poor?

I`m the only one who actually have scanned the original english manual and if i remember correctly i sent it to you together with a perfect STX image of my original Chess Champions 2175.

I started Ninja Remix about 30 times, and it worked always - mostly at 16 MHz on Mega STE .
So, it may be some HW problem really - and I did not mean problem with capacitors in PSU (btw. in my Mega STE are still original ones, looks that they used very good quality ones). There are hundreds of components, and every one can degrade. And it can be just some contact error. Recommended is to remove socketed chips, clean contacts ... Connectors too.
Updated v. may come if JY decides to deal with. And that will not solve your problem, 99% .
Ninja Remix page updated
Made new YT video - sorry for my poor playing. Not exactly my kind of ...

I forgot to add that I am using Xcontrol. Forgot that all testing should be done with a clean boot, will disable Xcontrol and try Ninja Remix again. Could be that it is sensitive to something running in memory?

[Petari]

There is file O.ST in subdir FILES. That's exact conversion from STX image. And I used your one. Pls. try it with some emulator as floppy image. There are no traces of copy protection, but may be some, so better to check.  And yes, pls. statesave when computer gets stupid . Even better is little before that, if possible.

Xcontrol ? Surely no. Really no use of it for gaming. Actually any ACC is not welcome, as some resident SW starting from AUTO folder.

[complicated]

There is file O.ST in subdir FILES. That's exact conversion from STX image. And I used your one. Pls. try it with some emulator as floppy image. There are no traces of copy protection, but may be some, so better to check.  And yes, pls. statesave when computer gets stupid . Even better is little before that, if possible.

I did a quick test in Steem 3.2 with your O.ST image. When typing the word "toby" at startup the computers plays bad. When typing the correct word from my manual the computers plays perfect. So atleast we can confirm that there is nothing wrong with the STX image. Which version do you want me to do savestates from?

Xcontrol ? Surely no. Really no use of it for gaming. Actually any ACC is not welcome, as some resident SW starting from AUTO folder.

Did a new Ninja Remix test with Xcontrol disabled and the game did startup fine about 15-20 times. Sorry for timewasting, my bad forgetting to test during clean boot. I also completed this game once without any issues so you can add that to your notes that the game runs perfectly from start to end.

[Petari]

I traced it more, and found that that toby was there only to confuse. There is more check, and is test for change in word comparison rutine. Changed it all and played one whole game. What did not last much - I accelerated emulator when computer was thinking, and I played pretty poorly, so was beaten in some 6 min. With real speed it would be maybe 12-15 .
I uploaded ZIP with corrected image (it is D.ST at same loc), so you can test adaptation as usual and D.ST image too .  If this is OK, then will make new ZIP, with only it .

[complicated]

I traced it more, and found that that toby was there only to confuse. There is more check, and is test for change in word comparison rutine. Changed it all and played one whole game. What did not last much - I accelerated emulator when computer was thinking, and I played pretty poorly, so was beaten in some 6 min. With real speed it would be maybe 12-15 .
I uploaded ZIP with corrected image (it is D.ST at same loc), so you can test adaptation as usual and D.ST image too .  If this is OK, then will make new ZIP, with only it .

I downloaded your latest test version with corrected D.ST. I played a full game against the computer and lost after about 12 minutes, not my best game ever but did not play bad. I restarted and played about a half game and the computer was leading with 1 or 2 pieces. Seems like you`ve nailed it and Chess Champion is playing at full strenght, well done! There was some mouse movement issues but thats caused by using an older T14AG file, when changing to the 21-10-17 updated file the mouse movement is perfect.

If you update the Eng and Fr versions i can do some final tests to make sure both are working perfectly

EDIT: Testing was done on real Mega STE / TOS 2.06 / 4MB RAM / Gigafile with your driver. Game running @ 16mhz.

[Petari]

I updated both versions (Fr. and En.) on DL page .

[complicated]

I updated both versions (Fr. and En.) on DL page .

Both Eng and Fr versions tested and they play at full strenght. Did not find any issues at all, everything is working great. Once again great job and many thanks for taking the time fixing this

[Petari]

Mission accomplished 

[munchy]

Hi,
Having issue with the game HERO.The save game states are working but i lose the fire button which produces the gun on all saves
my setup a 4 meg ste tos 1.62.Ultrsatan and pp hd driver.
could anyone try to replicate this please ?

many thanks

[Petari]

Hi,
Having issue with the game HERO.The save game states are working but i lose the fire button which produces the gun on all saves
my setup a 4 meg ste tos 1.62.Ultrsatan and pp hd driver.
could anyone try to replicate this please ?

many thanks

Fixed.

[munchy]

Thank you so much for that.It is indeed "fixed"