Dungeon Master Custom Dungeons

[Wilhood]

Dungeon master for the amiga, I never got around to finishing it, one of the first games I will try on my amiga mini.

[Methanoid]

Originally Posted by Wilhood

Dungeon master for the amiga, I never got around to finishing it, one of the first games I will try on my amiga mini.

Lol. Just about the only game I did finish on Amiga, plus Millennium 2.2 of course

[Wilhood]

You are a better man than me, I never got around to finishing it, hopefully, I will this time around.

[Thorham]

When I run the game with the Aros ROM (WinUae) it says 'échec ouverture écran' (google translate: screen opening failure). Is this because the game uses the default monitor perhaps?

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

When I run the game with the Aros ROM (WinUae) it says 'échec ouverture écran' (google translate: screen opening failure). Is this because the game uses the default monitor perhaps?

Does AROS support normal OCS/ECS chipset ? If not, you have your answer.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by meynaf

Does AROS support normal OCS/ECS chipset ?

Tested it in WinUae and it seems to support it. Wonder what happens if dmcsb used the PAL or NTSC monitor id for OpenScreenTags(). Can you specify a monitor perhaps?

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

Tested it in WinUae and it seems to support it. Wonder what happens if dmcsb used the PAL or NTSC monitor id for OpenScreenTags(). Can you specify a monitor perhaps?

Default monitor is used. Nothing special.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by meynaf

Default monitor is used. Nothing special.

Any chance of a PAL/NTSC option being added? Don't know if it would help with the Aros ROM (built into WinUae), but if it works, a 'stand alone' WinUae version of the game can be set up which might be nice for the Dungeon Master Forums.

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

Any chance of a PAL/NTSC option being added? Don't know if it would help with the Aros ROM (built into WinUae), but if it works, a 'stand alone' WinUae version of the game can be set up which might be nice for the Dungeon Master Forums.

I don't think it would help. If default monitor fails, why would asking for PAL or NTSC be successful ?
It may also fail for another reason. I don't have aros setup, but if you want you can play with OpenScreenTagList on it and find the tags that prevent 320x200x5 screen opening on it.
The screen opening code isn't specific to this program at all. Any other of my programs opening a screen uses the same code, and IIRC you had access to it - it's my system frame.
A standalone version is a nice idea and i have distant plans for it, but it would be using my own VM, not Winuae.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by meynaf

I don't think it would help. If default monitor fails, why would asking for PAL or NTSC be successful ?

Because those are actually available. I have it in my head somehow that the game doesn't run under Aros because the default monitor is missing for some reason. Seems strange now that I think about it.

Originally Posted by meynaf

I don't have aros setup

I actually don't have it set up either, which makes doing anything a pain.

Originally Posted by meynaf

A standalone version is a nice idea and i have distant plans for it, but it would be using my own VM, not Winuae.

Yeah, you mentioned a VM a while ago. How's that going?

[alexh]

I would enjoy playing the custom dungeons again. They were very hard (for me) last time I tried. But I applauded the stories.

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

Because those are actually available. I have it in my head somehow that the game doesn't run under Aros because the default monitor is missing for some reason. Seems strange now that I think about it.

I'd be surprised if Aros can open a planar intuition screen that allows grabbing the bitplanes for direct access...

Originally Posted by Thorham

I actually don't have it set up either, which makes doing anything a pain.

Then it is just a floating idea, huh ?

Originally Posted by Thorham

Yeah, you mentioned a VM a while ago. How's that going?

Amiga version works fine but is probably not fast enough for real life usage on legacy hardware (under winuae it's ok). PC-windows version is being worked on - currently buggy and incomplete.

Originally Posted by alexh

I would enjoy playing the custom dungeons again. They were very hard (for me) last time I tried. But I applauded the stories.

Some are designed to be real hard so this is normal, but not all are.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by meynaf

I'd be surprised if Aros can open a planar intuition screen that allows grabbing the bitplanes for direct access...

I'd be surprised if it can't. It's supposed to be compatible with AOS, but then again...

Originally Posted by meynaf

Then it is just a floating idea, huh ?

Not if your version of DM can run without a startup-sequence. WinUae's built in Aros rom has a boot menu with the 'boot without startup-seequence' option. I've tried running the game like that, but it can't open a screen for some reason. The question is if it's because of the missing default monitor or not.

Originally Posted by meynaf

PC-windows version is being worked on - currently buggy and incomplete.

Are you using existing libraries or writing everything from scratch?

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

I'd be surprised if it can't. It's supposed to be compatible with AOS, but then again...

We all know this compatibility is limited. Things done "in the back" of the OS won't work, will they ?

Originally Posted by Thorham

Not if your version of DM can run without a startup-sequence. WinUae's built in Aros rom has a boot menu with the 'boot without startup-seequence' option. I've tried running the game like that, but it can't open a screen for some reason. The question is if it's because of the missing default monitor or not.

It can run without a startup-sequence.
Now, can Aros run a pre-installed OS like some 3.x kickstart would ?

Originally Posted by Thorham

Are you using existing libraries or writing everything from scratch?

There are no existing libraries for doing that. Or what would they be ?

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by meynaf

We all know this compatibility is limited. Things done "in the back" of the OS won't work, will they ?

Depends, but things like specifying allocated memory for a screen, or having the OS allocate the memory and then getting the plane pointers from the appropriate structure should work. Or that's what you'd think. Changing these basic things will ensure incompatibility, so I doubt they did that.

Originally Posted by meynaf

Now, can Aros run a pre-installed OS like some 3.x kickstart would ?

Yes, and I tried it briefly, but the game still complained about not being able to open a screen. Can't you just tell the game to use a different monitor? If not, it could be a nice feature for your system frame.

Originally Posted by meynaf

There are no existing libraries for doing that. Or what would they be ?

I mean stuff like SDL for graphics. Writing everything from scratch for OpenGL (or something) doesn't seem like too much fun.

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

Depends, but things like specifying allocated memory for a screen, or having the OS allocate the memory and then getting the plane pointers from the appropriate structure should work. Or that's what you'd think. Changing these basic things will ensure incompatibility, so I doubt they did that.

Well, we've got the proof here there really is incompatibility. Aros is for things that are 100% OS, at least it's the way i interpret it.
Why don't you just write simple screen opening code to make a few tests yourself ?

Originally Posted by Thorham

Yes, and I tried it briefly, but the game still complained about not being able to open a screen. Can't you just tell the game to use a different monitor? If not, it could be a nice feature for your system frame.

I need to know when to use a different monitor spec and which one. Not that easy. In addition, such specific stuff does not fit very well in the API - which have to be as platform agnostic as possible (they're readily available in the VM).
Also i don't want to go thru all that, just to discover it wasn't the monitor spec that made the openscreen fail...

Originally Posted by Thorham

I mean stuff like SDL for graphics. Writing everything from scratch for OpenGL (or something) doesn't seem like too much fun.

It's DirectX11, actually. Indeed not fun but not the worse part.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by meynaf

Why don't you just write simple screen opening code to make a few tests yourself ?

I actually have some working code already, didn't occur to me to try it

Originally Posted by meynaf

Also i don't want to go thru all that, just to discover it wasn't the monitor spec that made the openscreen fail...

Yeah, that'd be a bit silly indeed. Fixing things that aren't broken while the problem is caused by an OS that's not even AOS isn't the greatest of ideas.

Originally Posted by meynaf

It's DirectX11, actually. Indeed not fun but not the worse part.

What's worse, then?

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

I actually have some working code already, didn't occur to me to try it

Let's see what it gives then.

Originally Posted by Thorham

Yeah, that'd be a bit silly indeed. Fixing things that aren't broken while the problem is caused by an OS that's not even AOS isn't the greatest of ideas.

Yep

Originally Posted by Thorham

What's worse, then?

Anything requiring low latency and/or stable timing, for example audio. Tried with several apis (waveout, xaudio2, directsound, wasapi), all failed in one way or another.

[Thorham]

Originally Posted by meynaf

Let's see what it gives then.

Tested, and doesn't seem to work, sadly. Guess your hunch was on target, sadly This really makes me wonder why it doesn't work, it just makes no sense.

Originally Posted by meynaf

Anything requiring low latency and/or stable timing, for example audio. Tried with several apis (waveout, xaudio2, directsound, wasapi), all failed in one way or another.

What a pain in the backside Does it work with a large circular audio buffer that just gets playd back continuously? If not, it might work with that (although it's just a guess).

[meynaf]

Originally Posted by Thorham

Tested, and doesn't seem to work, sadly. Guess your hunch was on target, sadly This really makes me wonder why it doesn't work, it just makes no sense.

Remember where Aros comes from -- PC port of AOS.
Back-porting it to 68k does not magically make it 100% compatible.

Originally Posted by Thorham

What a pain in the backside Does it work with a large circular audio buffer that just gets playd back continuously? If not, it might work with that (although it's just a guess).

Seems we're quite OT here (we can discuss further by PM if you want) but large buffers can't do the trick - you don't want a monster scream happen several seconds after the attack, do you ?