Tfx Aga? - Page 2

jotd · 18 April 2020, 21:16

If someone shares the info & full archive, I may have a look. In what forms those patches exist? new executable? something else?

note that the source code isn't going to get you anywhere if you don't know how it's structured. But it could help

(and rebuilding for 68060 wouldn't help much too. If the game uses FPU then it's already a good point. Taking advantage of 060 instructions is very unlikely)

redblade · 18 April 2020, 22:03

There is a hdf on the ftp server by steve for WinUAE which requires 8mb CHIPRAM, 68020 and 68882fpu and it runs smoothly so maybe it's a AllocMem error?

jotd · 18 April 2020, 22:11

I don't know what whdload would bring if it is huge and needs 68060 to run smoothly. I'm not going to be able to optimize it any further, if it even can be optimized.

Retroplay · 18 April 2020, 22:18

Agreed, it would also require an insane amount of memory to preload (by Amiga standards).
Without preload I guess the OS swaps would ruin the game.

I remember vividly the time I loaded up Beneath a Steel Sky with speech on my, unfortunately now dead, A1200.
It took almost 30 minutes to preload into ram and the Amiga was upgraded with an ACA1232.

LOAD
PRESS PLAY ON TAPE
FOUND TFX (AGA)
LOADING
(30 minutes later)
READY
RUN

DaveTaylor · 18 April 2020, 22:44

Is it really too huge for preload?
The native install only uses 10 MB of disk space.

Retroplay · 18 April 2020, 23:01

Sorry, you're right.

I just checked CU Amiga 1997 Coverdisk 15, install dir is approx 8mb.
It's not that big as I seemed to recall.

jotd · 19 April 2020, 00:54

okay, not huge. But is there a point about creating a whdload slave? What is it going to bring despite quitkey?

honest question.

Retroplay · 19 April 2020, 03:07

Not much to be honest.

I've zoned a HDF I made a few years ago, it works in UAE with A1200+4mb quickstart and above.
No need for fantasy 8mb chip setups like the hdf mentioned above.

jotd · 19 April 2020, 10:34

there are other AGA titles that don't have whdload installs and which probably should http://hol.abime.net/hol_search.php?...o&N_nb_sps=yes

NeoHippie2016 · 19 April 2020, 12:31

Blade (2 Versions), Exile, Liberation & Testament (3 Versions) are as original in my collection...

Steve · 19 April 2020, 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroplay

Not much to be honest.

I've zoned a HDF I made a few years ago, it works in UAE with A1200+4mb quickstart and above.
No need for fantasy 8mb chip setups like the hdf mentioned above.

yea but it doesn't contain the latest patch. Its Just the regular version which is quite buggy if I recall.

DaveTaylor · 19 April 2020, 14:25

There are 3 different versions for different hardware. Would be cool to have the ability to choose between in splashscreen.

vroom6sri · 19 April 2020, 14:50

I’ve got TFX installed on my A1200 with ACA1230/56 and it runs pretty well as well
as booting from Workbench and returning to Workbench upon using the inbuilt Quit game option so I suppose WHDload version is unnecessary.

DamienD · 20 April 2020, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by redblade

There is a hdf on the ftp server by steve for WinUAE which requires 8mb CHIPRAM, 68020 and 68882fpu and it runs smoothly so maybe it's a AllocMem error?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retroplay

Not much to be honest.

I've zoned a HDF I made a few years ago, it works in UAE with A1200+4mb quickstart and above.
No need for fantasy 8mb chip setups like the hdf mentioned above.

I also have a bare-bones / self-booting .HDF of this game if people want it.

...not really sure why anyone would need a WHDLoad version though; native install is fine and runs on 68020 / 68030 / 68040 / 68060 CPUs anyway.

DamienD · 20 April 2020, 18:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveTaylor

There are 3 different versions for different hardware. Would be cool to have the ability to choose between in splashscreen.

Why, you just use the version for your Amiga hardware...

jotd · 20 April 2020, 18:50

whdload install could just detect the CPU and run the best executable, allowing a generic installation and possibly saving a couple of assigns. But that's all there is.

DaveTaylor · 21 April 2020, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by DamienD

Why, you just use the version for your Amiga hardware...

I was thinking in a more comprehensive context to make it easier accessible for everyone (apart from my own hardware). Don't care about a native install, just use WHDLoad and it offers the all-in-one including splashscreen options and no use to look for and install additonal patches. Furthermore I saw the chance to get some bugs fixed.

So why there are slaves for LucasArts or Sierra Games or even for Star Trek: 25th Anniversary (an AGA game that is only playable from HD)? The native install would do it as well.
I think its about making it easier, more compatible and all under one roof. Its even a good feeling that people like JOTD care for the slaves and make it better everyday.

It was only an idea (even not mine, I only bumped it).
So when the majority is seeing no need for this, there is no need for this.

Reynolds · 21 April 2020, 20:24

With or without WHDLoad, it definitely needs bugfixing. And in the meantime I'd warmly welcome speedups via optimization(s). Saying this with having this game as the CUAmiga release together with other executables available on the net. You can't play a flightsim where all the indicators and hud just flashing randomly, and that's just one issue to mention...

DamienD · 21 April 2020, 23:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveTaylor

I was thinking in a more comprehensive context to make it easier accessible for everyone (apart from my own hardware). Don't care about a native install, just use WHDLoad and it offers the all-in-one including splashscreen options and no use to look for and install additonal patches. Furthermore I saw the chance to get some bugs fixed.

I'm sorry, but again having a WHDLoad install makes not sense at all...

Have you even ever installed the native version of TFX?

It runs fine on:

(a) TFX_020 BETA exec (requires FPU)
(b) TFX_030 BETA exec (requires FPU)
(c) TFX_040 BETA exec (requires 68040/060 CPU)

There's no point having a splash screen with the above options, you just run the game exe for the Amiga hardware that you have; simple.

Plus, not to mention that if there was a WHDLoad version then it definitely wouldn't run on "2MB Chip and 4MB Fast RAM" like the native install does

WHDLoad is not the answer to everything you know; despite what some people claim / seem to think.

I could list 20 x native hard drive install games that you've never see WHDLoad versions of due to way in which it works.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaveTaylor

It was only an idea (even not mine, I only bumped it).
So when the majority is seeing no need for this, there is no need for this.

Maybe so, but given this thread is 10 years old, that just proves the point even further that it's not worth doing.

DaveTaylor · 22 April 2020, 09:47

The reason for a thread like this is a discussion. And thats going on pretty well.

Advantages - disadvantages. You have your points. Me too.
But you are more expert than me. So your reasons weigh more heavily.

As I said already: it seems to be no need for this.
But an additional existing WHDLoad slave wouldn't harm anyone too.
You still can choose between native and slave.

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18 April 2020, 21:16	#21
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,161	If someone shares the info & full archive, I may have a look. In what forms those patches exist? new executable? something else? note that the source code isn't going to get you anywhere if you don't know how it's structured. But it could help (and rebuilding for 68060 wouldn't help much too. If the game uses FPU then it's already a good point. Taking advantage of 060 instructions is very unlikely)

18 April 2020, 22:03	#22
redblade Zone Friend Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Middle Earth Age: 40 Posts: 2,127	There is a hdf on the ftp server by steve for WinUAE which requires 8mb CHIPRAM, 68020 and 68882fpu and it runs smoothly so maybe it's a AllocMem error?

18 April 2020, 22:11	#23
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,161	I don't know what whdload would bring if it is huge and needs 68060 to run smoothly. I'm not going to be able to optimize it any further, if it even can be optimized.

18 April 2020, 22:18	#24
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,079	Agreed, it would also require an insane amount of memory to preload (by Amiga standards). Without preload I guess the OS swaps would ruin the game. I remember vividly the time I loaded up Beneath a Steel Sky with speech on my, unfortunately now dead, A1200. It took almost 30 minutes to preload into ram and the Amiga was upgraded with an ACA1232. LOAD PRESS PLAY ON TAPE FOUND TFX (AGA) LOADING (30 minutes later) READY RUN

18 April 2020, 22:44	#25
DaveTaylor Registered User Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Japan Posts: 102	Is it really too huge for preload? The native install only uses 10 MB of disk space.

18 April 2020, 23:01	#26
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,079	Sorry, you're right. I just checked CU Amiga 1997 Coverdisk 15, install dir is approx 8mb. It's not that big as I seemed to recall.

19 April 2020, 00:54	#27
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,161	okay, not huge. But is there a point about creating a whdload slave? What is it going to bring despite quitkey? honest question.

19 April 2020, 03:07	#28
Retroplay Lemon Curry ? Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Denmark Age: 49 Posts: 4,079	Not much to be honest. I've zoned a HDF I made a few years ago, it works in UAE with A1200+4mb quickstart and above. No need for fantasy 8mb chip setups like the hdf mentioned above.

19 April 2020, 10:34	#29
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,161	there are other AGA titles that don't have whdload installs and which probably should http://hol.abime.net/hol_search.php?...o&N_nb_sps=yes

19 April 2020, 12:31	#30
NeoHippie2016 Freak Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Gladbeck Age: 47 Posts: 580	Blade (2 Versions), Exile, Liberation & Testament (3 Versions) are as original in my collection...

19 April 2020, 14:25	#32
DaveTaylor Registered User Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Japan Posts: 102	There are 3 different versions for different hardware. Would be cool to have the ability to choose between in splashscreen.

19 April 2020, 14:50	#33
vroom6sri Registered User Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Peterborough Age: 47 Posts: 841	I’ve got TFX installed on my A1200 with ACA1230/56 and it runs pretty well as well as booting from Workbench and returning to Workbench upon using the inbuilt Quit game option so I suppose WHDload version is unnecessary.

20 April 2020, 18:50	#36
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,161	whdload install could just detect the CPU and run the best executable, allowing a generic installation and possibly saving a couple of assigns. But that's all there is.

21 April 2020, 20:24	#38
Reynolds Alien Breeder Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Szigetszentmiklos / Hungary Age: 46 Posts: 1,096	With or without WHDLoad, it definitely needs bugfixing. And in the meantime I'd warmly welcome speedups via optimization(s). Saying this with having this game as the CUAmiga release together with other executables available on the net. You can't play a flightsim where all the indicators and hud just flashing randomly, and that's just one issue to mention...

22 April 2020, 09:47	#40
DaveTaylor Registered User Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Japan Posts: 102	The reason for a thread like this is a discussion. And thats going on pretty well. Advantages - disadvantages. You have your points. Me too. But you are more expert than me. So your reasons weigh more heavily. As I said already: it seems to be no need for this. But an additional existing WHDLoad slave wouldn't harm anyone too. You still can choose between native and slave.

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