Wing Commander levels?

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by JuvUK

Thanks to DamienD we now have some FM Towns artwork over on the Wiki
cheers m8.




JuvUK

No problem at all. Title / screen shots of all games will follow soon

[klx300r]

Originally Posted by JuvUK

@all

how come no-ones joined the wiki? no-one want to help?

cheers, JuvUK

I'd love to but the last time I programmed anything was back in 1989 using Pascal love the gumption ya boys have though & could test stuff on my 1200 & give feedback if that would help....

[JuvUK]

@klx300r
all help is useful bud

JuvUK

[mk1]

All quiet on the Goddard front then?

[JuvUK]

all quiet everywhere at the moment m8, not quiet the influx of helpful coders and keen wing commanders i was expecting

[starlord]

Regarding the star crusader mission disk: While I have no idea about the amiga version of the grimnada mission disk, I can certainly point you to the PC version as I happen to have it (very rare little bugger it is too)...

[Angus]

Originally Posted by starlord

Regarding the star crusader mission disk: While I have no idea about the amiga version of the grimnada mission disk, I can certainly point you to the PC version as I happen to have it (very rare little bugger it is too)...

Wow, nice one Starlord, now all we need is some expertise.....

I don't know if any of the gents involved at the beginning of this thread are still reading, but could this possibly be investigated, in case it is a relatively easy fix? Certainly, there is an area in the Amiga version which is the link to the "forthcoming" mission disk.

Starlord, any word on the gameplay, basically more of the same or did they cross any frontiers?

[starlord]

Actually, if you play star crusader through (whether it be under the gorene or alliance campaign) you'll eventually do a couple of missions in a sector of space called "grimnada" where your instruments are malfunctionning and neutralised ships are everywhere (I love a good "bermuda triangle" syndrome)... During the last mission, a cutscene shows you a huge entity devouring your ship, along with that infamous add: "if you want to know what happened in grimnada, buy the star crusader mission disk: the grimnada mystery". The pilot ejects and resumes the current campaign (gorenes VS alliance) and grimnada is never mentionned again).

The mission disk came in 2 forms:

I was dubbed star crusader speech pack (the version I have) and was intended for the disk version of star crusader: It was supposed to add the voice overs (later found in the CD version) along with the grimnada campaign. it could still work on the CD version though...

the second was the star crusader: 21 new mission pack. Basically the same but without the speech file, worked on the disk and CD versions.

Curiously the CD star crusader features the voice overs along with the medal system, but not the additionnal campaign (I was so crossed when I found out, and so desperate when it turned out to be so obscure)...

the mission disk can be installed in 3 languages (french, english, and german).

Should you wish, I can point you out to the mission disk: it is PC only though... I'd be interested in return to see the add for the "forthcoming mission disk" for the amiga star crusader... Also, I'm curious, didn't the CD32 build feature it?

Also, you know warhead? That's an excellent taste. Do you happen to know also XF5700 mantis: the experimental starfighter for PC? It's an excellent remake of 1992... As always favor the CD version as it contains additionnal campaigns...

[Angus]

Originally Posted by starlord

Actually, if you play star crusader through (whether it be under the gorene or alliance campaign) you'll eventually do a couple of missions in a sector of space called "grimnada" where your instruments are malfunctionning and neutralised ships are everywhere (I love a good "bermuda triangle" syndrome)... During the last mission, a cutscene shows you a huge entity devouring your ship, along with that infamous add: "if you want to know what happened in grimnada, buy the star crusader mission disk: the grimnada mystery". The pilot ejects and resumes the current campaign (gorenes VS alliance) and grimnada is never mentionned again).

The mission disk came in 2 forms:
Curiously the CD star crusader features the voice overs along with the medal system, but not the additionnal campaign (I was so crossed when I found out, and so desperate when it turned out to be so obscure)...

the mission disk can be installed in 3 languages (french, english, and german).

Should you wish, I can point you out to the mission disk: it is PC only though... I'd be interested in return to see the add for the "forthcoming mission disk" for the amiga star crusader... Also, I'm curious, didn't the CD32 build feature it?

Also, you know warhead? That's an excellent taste. Do you happen to know also XF5700 mantis: the experimental starfighter for PC? It's an excellent remake of 1992... As always favor the CD version as it contains additionnal campaigns...

Hi Starlord, thanks for all the info. All I know about the mission disk is that it was advertised on the back of the manual in my Amiga version, but apparently pc only - 19.99 for the floppy version and 12.00 for the CD version, Also, in the game there was a map you could click on and one region of it said it was reserved for the extra missions, or something like that. There may have been another reference in the manual. I don't remember the "Bermuda Triangle" mission you mentioned, and I did play the game to the end, but it was a long time ago. I think Amiga Star Crusader was really less for the CD32 than a CD equipped 1200 or 4000, you needed a keyboard, mouse and floppy - and a memory expansion was recommended for the 1200, so I reckon the CD32 would have struggled. I don't know XF5700, but I loved Warhead - you might want to see my reviews of these games on the Amiga Games Database website. Cheers.

[starlord]

I see... will do!

anyway, fear not: the mission disk is preserved (and what a hunt that was!), so the story can be finished...

[Angus]

Originally Posted by starlord

I see... will do!

anyway, fear not: the mission disk is preserved (and what a hunt that was!), so the story can be finished...

I believe you, I saw signs of your hunt when I googled the mission disk.

Starlord is there any chance you can you tell us anything about the gameplay on the extra missions? A mini review - without giving the game away?

[starlord]

Not that much unfortunately, as I have yet to play it from start to finish: you wouldn't believe the number of space sims I have and in opposition the number I've actually played...

However, should you wish to find out for yourself, I suggest buying a copy of star crusader CD for PC (easily findable: I'll give you indications should you wish) and I'll send you the mission disk files (as it's not findable by normal standards)... I can also supply you with a box scan and a scan of the instructions card.

[Angus]

Originally Posted by starlord

Not that much unfortunately, as I have yet to play it from start to finish: you wouldn't believe the number of space sims I have and in opposition the number I've actually played...

However, should you wish to find out for yourself, I suggest buying a copy of star crusader CD for PC (easily findable: I'll give you indications should you wish) and I'll send you the mission disk files (as it's not findable by normal standards)... I can also supply you with a box scan and a scan of the instructions card.

That's very kind Starlord - and is certainly something to think about.... but presumably the game will not readily run on windows xp?

Sorry if this is a daft question, but I've only recently retired my Amiga to light duties and bought a (stinking) pc.

[starlord]

In that case, the dosbox emulator is your ticket to paradise...

[Angus]

Originally Posted by starlord

In that case, the dosbox emulator is your ticket to paradise...

Thanks Starlord - I will probably investigate Dosbox at some point. By the way, I noticed quite a few Star Crusader Youtube clips - didn't spot anything on the extra mission so far, probably just too rare for it to have been featured sadly.

Actually, one of the things that got me interested in Star Crusader initially, was Girv's website referring to the CD version as being rarer than rocking horse droppings - I think that's how he put it.

[Bamiga2002]

Any chance to upload the Wing Commander CD32 HD to tha Zone again?

[Boo Boo]

Originally Posted by Bamiga2002

Any chance to upload the Wing Commander CD32 HD to tha Zone again?

Ive uploaded the version I originally uploaded except I used the tool GetPath you upload so no need to mess about with Saves location.

[Bamiga2002]

Muchos thanxos

[starlord]

Also, since we've been speaking of rare mission disks, I would like to know if subwar 2050 has an amiga mission disk...

The PC mission disk (luckily, this one is present in the "sold out" compilation featuring the subwar 2050 CD, contrarily to star crusader) is called "the plot deepens" and features 3 additionnal campaigns: one in the mediterranean sea, one in the ice caps, and one in the bermuda triangle.

[Doomer]

Some info by my file investigation.

Mission files:
Amiga - MODULE0.PKT - 44008 bytes long (decrunched)
PC - MODULE.000 - 235164 bytes long (decrunched)

PC uses open file structure, 13 series, each serie 4 missions. Amiga uses hard coded structure, designed exactly to standard WC missions. So PC structure is:
(1) Series 1 Mission 1 (Hornet, Spirit as Wingman)
(2) Series 1 Mission 2 (Hornet, Spirit as Wingman)
(3) Series 1 Mission 3 not used
(4) Series 1 Mission 4 not used
(5) Series 2 Mission 1 (Scimitar, Paladin as Wingman)
etc.

Amiga structure:
(1) Series 1 Mission 1 (Hornet, Spirit as Wingman)
(2) Series 1 Mission 2 (Hornet, Spirit as Wingman)
(3) Series 2 Mission 1 (Scimitar, Paladin as Wingman)
(4) Series 2 Mission 2 (Scimitar, Paladin as Wingman)
(5) Series 2 Mission 3 (Scimitar, Paladin as Wingman)
etc.

You can edit this missions , but not campaign structure like in PC file.
Next limit is Nav Points. PC Mission = 16 Navs, Amiga Mission = hard coded structure for each mission.

So PC:
(1) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 1 (Tiger's Claw)
(2) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 2
(3) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 3 (Asteroids)
(4) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 4 (Asteroids)
(5) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 5 not used
...
(16) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 16 not used
(17) Series 1 Mission 2 Nav 1 (Tiger's Claw)
etc.

Amiga:
(1) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 1 (Tiger's Claw)
(2) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 2
(3) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 3 (Asteroids)
(4) Series 1 Mission 1 Nav 4 (Asteroids)
(5) Series 1 Mission 2 Nav 1 (Tiger's Claw)
(6) Series 1 Mission 2 Nav 2
etc.

Some Nav Points from Amiga file. This structure is more moddable.


Nav 1 in first mission (48 bytes long). Offset 33932.

3A 98 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 00 08 00 02 00 00 00 03 00 04 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 01 00 00 75 30 00 FF EC 78 00 00 3A 98 00

08 - load Tiger's Claw bitmap. 02 - load Scimitar bitmap. 03 and 04 - ship numbers (2 Scimitars near Tiger's Claw), declarated in other part in mission file (01 and 02 ship numbers is You and Wingman, not assigned to any Nav Point). FF after 04 is space to add some ships.


Nav 2 in first mission. Offset 33932 + 48.

3A 98 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 00 0A FF FF 00 05 00 06 00 07 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 01 00 00 AF C8 00 00 27 10 00 FF B1 E0 00

0A - load Dralthi bitmap. 05, 06, 07 - declarated ship numbers (3 Dralthi)


Nav 3 in first mission. Offset 33932 + 96.

4E 20 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 00 16 FF FF 00 0B FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 01 00 00 13 88 00 00 13 88 00 FF 50 38 00

16 - load Asteroids bitmap. 0B - ship number, yes, asteroid field uses ship slots.


Nav 4 in first mission. Offset 33932 + 144.

4E 20 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 FF 00 00 16 00 09 00 0A 00 08 00 09 FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF FF 01 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00

16 - load Asteroids bitmap. 09 - load Salthi bitmap. 0A - ship number (asteroids). 08, 09 - ship numbers (2 Salthi)

Its all for first mission Amiga structure. Next Nav is first Nav for second mission (offset 33932 + 192).

Conclusion. Its no way to convert Secret Missions, using standard Wing Commander executable. Option to play SM is perhaps garbage, not deleted after conversion code to Amiga. PC Secret Missions 1 runs on original executable + some files like MODULE.001 for missions, on Amiga rename MODULE0.PKT to MODULE1.PKT not run SM. Its posible to make some missions, but restricted to WC structure. I dont know how to pack mission file. To decrunch, uses xfd/NJMP. WC not work with decrunched file.