AMIGA CD32 Games Compilation Toolkit: create your own ultra-fast compilations!

[retrogamer]

Just download Cd32-444 or CD32-888 compilation from emule or anything else and look at the cd structure.
It's the best way to know how it works

Originally Posted by Lion

Hi,
I got my Amiga CD32 a few weeks ago, so I'm a newbie to all of this. I would like to use the Compilations Toolkit for putting some CD32 game versions, which are already ISOs or similar images (like those here: On the EAB file server in 'CD/CD32'), together on a CD, rather than using WHD versions or ADFs.
The problem is I have no idea where to put all the files from the ISOs and how to write the scripts for them. The manual only covers WHD versions.

[amigapd]

Lion,

If you manage to work it out would you be able to PM me a list of simple instructions which I can include on my FAQ page for the CD32 tookit on my website

Thanks and good luck.

[Lion]

OK, if I manage to...
Have you never tried it with CD32 versions? Your FAQ page is rather covering ADFs and the manual itself deals with WHD versions.

[Anakirob]

He is currently compiling a PD games disc. I don't think there are many PD games made exclusively for CDTV/CD32

[amigapd]

Lion,

I think the 200, 444 and 800 game compilation probably contain the CD32 versions of the games - so have a look at how they are set up on the disk - I assume that Speedball cd32 would have a folder containing on the files and then there is a start script which you can modify for the data section.

I doubt you can copy the ISO image onto the disk - you will need to extract the files to the tookit and I guess you will need to do a lot of assign and other commands -

I do have another Cd which I got of ebay which I thought was going to be PD softs hottest games but seems to be a compilation of CD32 games such as fire and ice and other - I will dig that out and have a look at how that was made. I think though the sound files in terms of music didn't play as the original did which was an issue with the whdload games as well.

[Lion]

My aim is to put together a few full CD32 versions (with the sound files) on one CD. They are usually much bigger, but if on has about 200 MB, three of them could be put together instead of using 3 seperate CDs.
Which tool can I use to create/modify the script files?

[amigapd]

You may want to download Mega Games 1 - which I think is one EAB server - this contains 73 CD32 games on one CD including Zool, Alien Breed, Speedball, Flink, Arabian Nights, Lotus trilogy e.t.c.

You can then use this to create your own compilation - Each game has its own game folder so copy that over to the game folder on the compilation toolkit. Then on the CD each game has a file saved under the S folder which is the start script - this will need to be edited in either notepad on a pc or a text editor on an amiga - Save these as the name of the game with start as the extension and place under the data folder of the compilation.

This should work - but you will need to rename some of the assigns as the following example for speedball shows:

CD MegaGames1:Game_Speedball2
MegaGames1:C/Init
MegaGames1:C/Assign sb2: ""
game

At the very least you would need to change CD megagames1 to your own reference probably Cd0

This should give you confidence to then work out what to do on the stand alone cds you have but this cd does seem to have most the games you want to play.

UPDATE-

I had a quick look at adding fire and ice to the cd compilation - it seems to follow the same method as ADF process - copy all folders over to the a game folder e.g. Fire.

Look in the S folder of the CD and there should be a start upsequence file

Edit this in notepad

Save as Fire.start

You will need to spend time sorting out assigns - I got the game to load to the menu but then it asked for Volume Fire to be inserted - which means it is looking for a particular folder on the original fire cd - you will need to spend time working out what folders need assigning in the start up script e.g.

cd0:games/fire
assign fire: cd0:games/fire
firepal

It will not be a quick process - some cds will probably work fine others will require a lot of head scratching to work out what folder the game is looking for.

In terms of size - you would probably get a lot of games on one cd - most games did not use the full storage capability - Fire and Ice is only about 3 mb in total - Games with lots of video footage will be considerably larger but the cd32 did not have many of those awful video games like night trap which dominated the sega mega cd.

[Lion]

amigapd,

thanks, I will try this out when I have some free time.
Fire & Ice - with all the CD32 sound files - has over 500 MB and I'm interested in compiling these full versions. However, some other games have 200-300 MB and could be gathered on one CD.

[Lion]

Well, the problems with Fire & Ice start earlier as I thought...
The CD32 version from the EAB file server does not play the sound files under WinUAE even in stand-alone mode without using the compilations toolkit. The sound files are outside the ISO file, so no wonder about that...
Has anyone an idea how to start the game with the sound files?

[TCD]

Originally Posted by Lion

Has anyone an idea how to start the game with the sound files?

Mount the .cue file instead of the ISO.

[amigapd]

I seem to recall there was a hard disk version of this - does that mean I could create a hard drive version of my pd cd compilation which Amiga 1200 users without cd drives can use. IF so are there any clear instructions on how to do this? Do I need additional software downloaded?

[B]Update[B]

I have found the hard drive version of CD32 toolkit - it was on the EAB server and seems to follow same method as the cd version

[Lion]

Compiling full CD32 versions seems to be more difficult than I thought.
If theses versions have additional sound files (and that's what matters to me), they are usually outside the ISO when downloaded from somewhere. When these games are burnt to CD (CUE not ISO must be selected; thanks CyberDruid!), the sound (WAV) files somehow get integrated and are not visible one the CD's directory anymore. Nevertheless they will play then on a real CD32.
This is complicating things alot because when using the Compilations Toolkit you have to know exactly where to put which files before building the ISO and burning it...

[gary]

Originally Posted by Lion

My aim is to put together a few full CD32 versions (with the sound files) on one CD. They are usually much bigger, but if on has about 200 MB, three of them could be put together instead of using 3 seperate CDs.
Which tool can I use to create/modify the script files?

In many cases you will need to modify the game code if you want more than one CD32 game on a disk complete with CD audio.

For example, generally a game will simply play a track on the disk:
Game title screen - play track 1
Level 1 - play track 2
Level 2 - play track 3
... etc...

So how to you see a game like Fire and Ice and Lotus Trilogy coexisting on a single disk both expecting their own music to be on the same CD track? Playing a lotus game while listening to a fire & ice ingame tune seems a little strange to me.

Perhaps the whdload guys could make slaves that allow music tracks to be set manually but I don't think there is enough demand for the feature.

[Lion]

OK, I have dismissed (or let's say "postponed", that at least sounds better ) the idea with a compilation with CD music.

Nevertheless, the Compilation Toolkit does not work for me, even with games without CD sound. I configured everything in WinUAE like described in the manual and put together a few games but when starting the toolkit in debugging mode, the CD indicates to "spin" but the screen remains black instead of showing AmigaDOS and preparing to make an ISO file like the screenshots in the manual show. (I can start games in testing mode though.)
Somehow I got the feeling that something important is amiss in my configurations but have no idea what it might be...

[Lion]

Just wanted to announce that I finally found the fault, before anyone's going to rack his brain over it. There was simple a path set wrong in WinUAE.
Nevertheless, it seems rather difficult to make compilations of CD32 versions. Till now I did not get a single game to run completely without a bug like in standalone...

[retrogamer]

Does anyone knows if it's possibolle to make sub directories in the menu like the 444 and 888 complations?

[Retro1234]

roughly you would have to edit the complation your self with out the debuger thing
On the main menu have something like
Puzzles
Demos
Then the start script for puzzles.start would assign AMS to your puzzles folder instead of the default AMS folder and start AMS again

[gehtjanx]

>Version 1.1 uploaded to the Zone!

WHERE IS "THE ZONE"? Is it available on aminet?

Please send to mail if possible.

thanks,
gehtjanx

[TCD]

Originally Posted by gehtjanx

WHERE IS "THE ZONE"? Is it available on aminet?

If you'd have read the 'Rules & Help' here, you should know...
Anyway, it's on the EAB file server now. I let you search for that one yourself then

[gehtjanx]

Thanks so much. I'M IN THE ZONE NOW ^^ but it would heve helped to write also, where the link to the zone will appear -.- In this case I found it between quick links and log out in the panel with User CP.

Thanks again, now this makes sense, tuning my compilations.
gehtjanx