Mounting a game that has six 'disks'

Morbane · 06 December 2011, 05:40

Just hoping for some tips for getting a game that has more than the 4 disks on the emulation window e.g. 6 disks.

What is the best way to have that number of disks functioning?

Graham Humphrey · 06 December 2011, 08:50

The Amiga only supports four disk drives so you can't put six in at once. If you're going to play games from floppy then good ol' disk swapping is going to be in order

(Not all games support multiple drives anyway, annoyingly.)

ancalimon · 06 December 2011, 09:50

I think there was a shortcut for swapping disks.

antonvaltaz · 06 December 2011, 10:05

You basically have two choices:

1) If it can be installed to HD, that will be by far the better way - quicker to load and no disk swapping. What game is it you're trying to play with 6 disks? Most games on the Amiga that had that many disks could be installed (and if it can't be, there's always WHDLoad, which is pre-installed (the unregistered version) on Amiga Forever's 'Workbench 3.x' config).

Let me know if you need help with installing HD games to Amiga Forever, it's a little bit confusing at first (there are a few different ways you can do it), but straightforward once you've got your head round it.

2) If you don't want to bother with hard disks, just edit the RP9 for the game you want to play. Go to the media tab and drag all six ADF or IPF files to the window. Check they're in the right order (i.e. disk 1 in DF0, disk 2 in DF1 etc).

When the game prompts you to insert a floppy disk, just click on one of the four floppy icons in the bottom of the window (DF0 to DF3, left-to-right), go to 'Insert' and you should see the disk 5 and disk 6 files there ready to insert. (Basically whichever two disks are not currently in one of the drives).

Morbane · 06 December 2011, 11:14

The game is Might and Magic III it has 6 I think actually - so this install process - does it work using the adfs (from planet emulation)? I would be keen to learn that process/method.

I already guessed at the potential for swapping but I was hoping to have the whole deal in place to have the impossible (without amiga forever).

I beseech you for the HD install method

antonvaltaz · 06 December 2011, 11:59

Well, there are a few different options. The quickest one is to download the pre-installed WHDLoad version from here:

http://www.whdownload.com/games.php?name=m&sort=0&dir=0

Once downloaded, open up Amiga Forever, click on the 'Systems' tab, and start up the 'Workbench 3.x' config.

When it's loaded, drag the zip file which you have downloaded onto your Workbench desktop - it should appear as a drive. Open it up and copy the contents across onto your 'Work' partition (you might want to create a 'Games' folder first), and that should be it - double-click on it and just load it up.

The disadvantage with this method is that you won't get a separate RP9 entry just for this game. You can do this though, I'll put the instructions in a separate post to keep things a bit clearer.

antonvaltaz · 06 December 2011, 12:00

Okay, so for the alternative method - to have a separate RP9 file just for this game - what you need to do is create a separate hard disk image just for this game (which will be DH1), then just use one of the included Workbench hard disks as DH0 (the system/boot partition). DH1 will be included within the PR9 (embedded); DH0 will just be referenced (it sits in /Amiga Files/Shared/hdf/).

Before you can start you need to create the HDF (hard disk image), which is one of the other times when you need to use WinUAE directly. From the Amiga Forever Player window, go to Plugins > WinUAE. Go to the hard drives tab and create your image - I usually make mine 20MB, which is larger than most Amiga games need, but it will be compressed within the RP9 file so it won't take up unnecessary space on your PC.

Now exit out of WinUAE, and in Amiga Forever Player create your new RP9, with whatever config settings are appropriate (as it came out in 1992 I'd probably use an A600 config, maybe with 2MB Chip RAM as the HD uses up a bit of RAM). In the 'Media' tab, from the 'Built-in Boot' drop-down choose the appropriate HD boot (if you're using A600 then that would be Workbench 2.05 - I think Amiga Forever may call it Workbench 2.1, this is from memory as I'm at work).

Then drag your newly created HDF file onto the Media window, it should appear as DH1.

Save your RP9 and boot it up. In Workbench, you will probably need to format your DH1 (just use quick format, from the Workbench menu at the top of the screen).

Then click on the floppy icon at the bottom of the emulation window and insert the first disk (ADF - according to HoL this is the 'Main' disk). There should be an install utility somewhere in that disk - just run it and insert the extra disks when prompted).

Once finished install, close the emulation window and make sure that you commit disk changes (you should be prompted). Open up the RP9 again, go to the 'Media' tab and you'll probably see all the floppies there, listed as well as the HDF - remove all the floppy images from the RP9, as you shouldn't need them anymore.

Note the next time you need to do another game it shouldn't be so convoluted - you can simply copy the RP9, load it up, format the DH1 and install your new game.

Morbane · 06 December 2011, 22:10

Thanks Anton - I got it working - the first example was easier to follow but I have copy/pasted your instructions to a doc just in case I need to refer to them in the future.

Just curious - the HDF... what exactly is it? A multi-disk image or a hard drive install image? or...? Mostly I wonder because I have already found a couple of games that I had trouble with using the adf method and the HDF works great (so far) So THANKS AGAIN ANTON!

antonvaltaz · 07 December 2011, 09:46

An HDF is just an image of a hard disk, just like an ADF is an image of a floppy disk.

If you have more than one HDF then there are treated as separate partitions or drives. On a real Amiga you'd typically have one system/boot partition and then one for all your data and programs/games. You wouldn't have a separate partition for each game, but in emulation it can work out easier that way.

ChucklesII · 08 January 2012, 02:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by antonvaltaz

Well, there are a few different options. The quickest one is to download the pre-installed WHDLoad version from here:

http://www.whdownload.com/games.php?name=m&sort=0&dir=0

Once downloaded, open up Amiga Forever, click on the 'Systems' tab, and start up the 'Workbench 3.x' config.

When it's loaded, drag the zip file which you have downloaded onto your Workbench desktop - it should appear as a drive. Open it up and copy the contents across onto your 'Work' partition (you might want to create a 'Games' folder first), and that should be it - double-click on it and just load it up.

The disadvantage with this method is that you won't get a separate RP9 entry just for this game. You can do this though, I'll put thestructions in a separate post to keep things a bit clearer.

Been looking for an easy way to do this--your description fits the ticket--
especially with something like Monkey Island--11 disks...

06 December 2011, 05:40	#1
Morbane Sub-Dimensional Array Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 123	Mounting a game that has six 'disks' Just hoping for some tips for getting a game that has more than the 4 disks on the emulation window e.g. 6 disks. What is the best way to have that number of disks functioning?

06 December 2011, 09:50	#3
ancalimon Supernormal Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Istanbul / Turkey Age: 43 Posts: 1,410	I think there was a shortcut for swapping disks. Last edited by ancalimon; 06 December 2011 at 10:31.

06 December 2011, 22:10	#8
Morbane Sub-Dimensional Array Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 123	Thanks Anton - I got it working - the first example was easier to follow but I have copy/pasted your instructions to a doc just in case I need to refer to them in the future. Just curious - the HDF... what exactly is it? A multi-disk image or a hard drive install image? or...? Mostly I wonder because I have already found a couple of games that I had trouble with using the adf method and the HDF works great (so far) So THANKS AGAIN ANTON! Last edited by Morbane; 06 December 2011 at 22:29.

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06 December 2011, 08:50	#2
Graham Humphrey Moderator Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Norwich, Norfolk, UK Age: 37 Posts: 11,167	The Amiga only supports four disk drives so you can't put six in at once. If you're going to play games from floppy then good ol' disk swapping is going to be in order (Not all games support multiple drives anyway, annoyingly.)

06 December 2011, 10:05	#4
antonvaltaz Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Oxford, UK Age: 43 Posts: 511	You basically have two choices: 1) If it can be installed to HD, that will be by far the better way - quicker to load and no disk swapping. What game is it you're trying to play with 6 disks? Most games on the Amiga that had that many disks could be installed (and if it can't be, there's always WHDLoad, which is pre-installed (the unregistered version) on Amiga Forever's 'Workbench 3.x' config). Let me know if you need help with installing HD games to Amiga Forever, it's a little bit confusing at first (there are a few different ways you can do it), but straightforward once you've got your head round it. 2) If you don't want to bother with hard disks, just edit the RP9 for the game you want to play. Go to the media tab and drag all six ADF or IPF files to the window. Check they're in the right order (i.e. disk 1 in DF0, disk 2 in DF1 etc). When the game prompts you to insert a floppy disk, just click on one of the four floppy icons in the bottom of the window (DF0 to DF3, left-to-right), go to 'Insert' and you should see the disk 5 and disk 6 files there ready to insert. (Basically whichever two disks are not currently in one of the drives).

06 December 2011, 11:14	#5
Morbane Sub-Dimensional Array Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Australia Posts: 123	The game is Might and Magic III it has 6 I think actually - so this install process - does it work using the adfs (from planet emulation)? I would be keen to learn that process/method. I already guessed at the potential for swapping but I was hoping to have the whole deal in place to have the impossible (without amiga forever). I beseech you for the HD install method

06 December 2011, 11:59	#6
antonvaltaz Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Oxford, UK Age: 43 Posts: 511	Well, there are a few different options. The quickest one is to download the pre-installed WHDLoad version from here: http://www.whdownload.com/games.php?name=m&sort=0&dir=0 Once downloaded, open up Amiga Forever, click on the 'Systems' tab, and start up the 'Workbench 3.x' config. When it's loaded, drag the zip file which you have downloaded onto your Workbench desktop - it should appear as a drive. Open it up and copy the contents across onto your 'Work' partition (you might want to create a 'Games' folder first), and that should be it - double-click on it and just load it up. The disadvantage with this method is that you won't get a separate RP9 entry just for this game. You can do this though, I'll put the instructions in a separate post to keep things a bit clearer.

06 December 2011, 12:00	#7
antonvaltaz Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Oxford, UK Age: 43 Posts: 511	Okay, so for the alternative method - to have a separate RP9 file just for this game - what you need to do is create a separate hard disk image just for this game (which will be DH1), then just use one of the included Workbench hard disks as DH0 (the system/boot partition). DH1 will be included within the PR9 (embedded); DH0 will just be referenced (it sits in /Amiga Files/Shared/hdf/). Before you can start you need to create the HDF (hard disk image), which is one of the other times when you need to use WinUAE directly. From the Amiga Forever Player window, go to Plugins > WinUAE. Go to the hard drives tab and create your image - I usually make mine 20MB, which is larger than most Amiga games need, but it will be compressed within the RP9 file so it won't take up unnecessary space on your PC. Now exit out of WinUAE, and in Amiga Forever Player create your new RP9, with whatever config settings are appropriate (as it came out in 1992 I'd probably use an A600 config, maybe with 2MB Chip RAM as the HD uses up a bit of RAM). In the 'Media' tab, from the 'Built-in Boot' drop-down choose the appropriate HD boot (if you're using A600 then that would be Workbench 2.05 - I think Amiga Forever may call it Workbench 2.1, this is from memory as I'm at work). Then drag your newly created HDF file onto the Media window, it should appear as DH1. Save your RP9 and boot it up. In Workbench, you will probably need to format your DH1 (just use quick format, from the Workbench menu at the top of the screen). Then click on the floppy icon at the bottom of the emulation window and insert the first disk (ADF - according to HoL this is the 'Main' disk). There should be an install utility somewhere in that disk - just run it and insert the extra disks when prompted). Once finished install, close the emulation window and make sure that you commit disk changes (you should be prompted). Open up the RP9 again, go to the 'Media' tab and you'll probably see all the floppies there, listed as well as the HDF - remove all the floppy images from the RP9, as you shouldn't need them anymore. Note the next time you need to do another game it shouldn't be so convoluted - you can simply copy the RP9, load it up, format the DH1 and install your new game.

07 December 2011, 09:46	#9
antonvaltaz Registered User Join Date: May 2009 Location: Oxford, UK Age: 43 Posts: 511	An HDF is just an image of a hard disk, just like an ADF is an image of a floppy disk. If you have more than one HDF then there are treated as separate partitions or drives. On a real Amiga you'd typically have one system/boot partition and then one for all your data and programs/games. You wouldn't have a separate partition for each game, but in emulation it can work out easier that way.

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