Future Wars (Les Voyageurs du Temps)

[malko]

After finishing Loom for the xxth time on my Amilator USB stick, I wanted to play another Adventure game : "Future Wars".

As described in the manual, the game can be installed on HD by simply copying the 2 disks onto a folder.

Even if the copy process runs smoothly, when the game is launched, only a black screen with a white mouse pointer arrow is present on screen.

This black screen with the white mouse pointer arrow is normal, except that usually the mouse pointer should change to a floppy-disk image while the game is loading (this is what happens when booting the game from DF0: ). But from HD, nothing... mouse pointer does not change, no copy protection check, no game, just a black screen with the white mouse arrow pointer.

I did try various versions of the games (ADF, IPF, cracked, non cracked, FR, UK, etc.). Same result. I even tried with disk assign. No success.

I also broke the HD startup-sequence to launch the game manually. Same result.

Then I have searched AEB and found that issues for this game have already been reported. Most of them concerning a save problem.

I know the game is working fine with the WHDLoad slave as I did test it. Nevertheless, my Amilator config is running under WB 1.3 so WHDLoad cannot be considered and the latest beta of JST does not provide a reliable save functionality.

So does someone know what is happening (code speaking) when the game is launched from HD that prevent if from loading ?

Is there a trick/patch to make it working ?

Does someone has a working HD version of this game ?

Thanks for any help !

[DamienD]

Heya my friend,

Just gave this a quick bash; and I mean a quick bash...

In The Zone! you will find "Les Voyageurs du Temps HDF.rar" where the files have been copied from the .IPFs (so there's still manual protection).

Works fine under 1.3

Note: this is only a test...

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Strange Future Wars works perfectly from hard drives with OS 1.3, test your game first on WinUAE, i will try anyway Future Wars on Amilator

You can attach the A500 config file you use on Amilator?

[nobody]

Probably created some unreliable not so compatible A500 config.

[malko]

Originally Posted by DamienD

[...] In The Zone! you will find "Les Voyageurs du Temps HDF.rar" where the files have been copied from the .IPFs (so there's still manual protection). [...]

Thank you my friend. Will give a try this morning !

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

[...] You can attach the A500 config file you use on Amilator?

Here . Don't hesitate to let me know if it needs improvement .

[AMIGASYSTEM]

I created a configuration for A500 and Future Wars It works well on Amilator, I attach my config for your test.

[malko]

@DamienD & @AMIGASYSTEM : Thanks guys for your help. Much appreciate

Based on your comments I have made several more tests.
All the tests made with both FS-UAE & UAE (windowed mode under Windows)

1a) Launching the game from your HDF Daminen -> HDF does not boot entirely - stops with an error ( )

1b) the HDF does not boot correctly, no problem : I booted from the WB1.3 Workbench disk with your HDF file -> game working

2) boot from my HDF -> black screen with white mouse pointer

3) boot from WB1.3 Workbench disk and my HDF -> game working

Hummm... so there is something in my startup-sequence maybe ???
BUT
I already broke the strartup-sequence script to launch the game manually and it was not working...

4) break one more time the startup-sequence of my HDF at the beginning to launch the game manually -> black screen with white mouse pointer

-> so it's not my "startup-sequence"... what is it then ???

I then had the idea to change the screen resolution of my WB 1.3 config (DamienD's HDF is in non-interlaced screen & WB1.3 also).

5) I have copied the system-configuration file from the WB1.3 Worbench disk to my HDF.

For unknown reason, after the change of the system-configuration file my HDF is not booting correctly (stratup-sequence not working entirely) but if I break the startup-sequence at the beginning and launch the game manually, now IT'S WORKING !

Also working if I break the startup-sequence, "loadwb" and click on the icon.

So looks like there is something happening if the WB screen resolution is interlaced when launching the game.

Could somebody else confirm ?


Edit: non-interlaced = 640x256 ; interlaced = 640x512

[AMIGASYSTEM]

I do not think so, the game uses its screen, if you send me your hardfile by e-mail, try searching for the problem.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by malko

1a) Launching the game from your HDF Daminen -> HDF does not boot entirely - stops with an error ( )

Hmmm, tested this a few times last night via WinUAE and got to the password protection screen

Edit: just quickly tested at work and got this:



So weird, it was late last night but definitely had it working with 1.3...

[nobody]

The hdf is working on uae4arm and wb 3.1.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by malko

Hummm... so there is something in my startup-sequence maybe ???
BUT
I already broke the strartup-sequence script to launch the game manually and it was not working...

Version of SetPatch maybe?

I used the one from the game disks...

[malko]

Originally Posted by DamienD

[...] What's the error?

Loaded the "Future Wars" config from your Collection and then have 'ejected' the disks and added the HDF file.
See thumbnail

Edit: just see you have the same issue

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

I do not think so, the game uses its screen, if you send me your hardfile by e-mail, try searching for the problem.

Ok. Let me just downsize it (remove unneeded games from it). Then I PM you the link

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Originally Posted by DamienD

So weird, it was late last night but definitely had it working with 1.3...

Damiano your Hardfile works well, just the icon.library is missing, KickStart 1.3 he does not have the Icon.library resident, to load the Workbench OS 1.3 he needs the Icon.library (in libs or root disk) find the file icon.library in the floppy Workbench 1.3. Probably you had tested your hrdfile with an OS 2.x or higher

About the Setpatch not to see the messages run with "Run >NIL:" (on OS 1.3 you need to have the command Run on files that are in floppy Workbench 1.3)

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

Damiano your Hardfile works well, just the icon.library is missing, KickStart 1.3 he does not have the Icon.library resident, to load the Workbench OS 1.3 he needs the Icon.library (in libs or root disk) find the file icon.library in the floppy Workbench 1.3.

Silly me, "icon.library" now added.

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

Probably you had tested your hrdfile with an OS 2.x or higher

I'm positive I tested using KS 1.3 but it was late...

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

About the Setpatch not to see the messages run with "Run >NIL:" (on OS 1.3 you need to have the command Run on files that are in floppy Workbench 1.3)

I used SetPatch QUIET.

Now changed to SetPatch >NIL:.

New .HDF in The Zone! but it's still just a quick job for malko to test with.

[malko]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

[...] if you send me your hardfile [...], try searching for the problem.

Here is the downsized HDF file
The game is in : SYS:JTest/VTMenace .

[AMIGASYSTEM]

OK solved (see video attached), your problem was the interlaced screen, that once disabled did not allow to ample a Shell and the continuation of the Workbench upload


To solve you have to replace (rename old files) two files of your system with those modified by me attached "startup -sequence" (S) and "system-configuration" (Devs).

* Delete my e-mail address from your quote, thanks

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

OK solved (see video attached), your problem was the interlaced screen, that once disabled did not allow to ample a Shell and the continuation of the Workbench upload


To solve you have to replace (rename old files) two files of your system with those modified by me attached "startup -sequence" (S) and "system-configuration" (Devs).

Well done AMIGASYSTEM!!!

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

* Delete my e-mail address from your quote, thanks

Done

[malko]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

OK solved [...] your problem was the interlaced screen [...]

Wonderful AMIGASYSTEM . I am in an excellent mood and not laughing at you but at what and how you wrote it

First you said :

I do not think so, the game uses its screen [...]

Second you came to the same conclusion as me :

[...] I then had the idea to change the screen resolution of my WB 1.3 config (DamienD's HDF is in non-interlaced screen & WB1.3 also).[...] now IT'S WORKING !

.

So it's definitively the interlaced WB (system-configuration file) that prevents the game from loading. Glad you confirmed the issue .

Also thank you for the commented/adapted line in the startup-sequence and the non-interlaced system-configuration file as I did not had the time to do it myself while downsizing the HDF for the test .

It's the first game that has such issue (all LucasGames tested so far, Sierra, Simon the Sorcerer, Road Avenger, etc.) are working fine when loaded from my interlaced WB config (system-configuration file). I am wondering if other Delphine's game "Operation Stealth" & "Cruise for a Corpse" have the same problem ?... Will give a try in a near future.

Therefore I am wondering if somebody having good coding knowledge could fix this loading issue (if not too much time consuming of course )

Ross, StingRay, Galahad/FLT, meynaf, etc. is it of some interest for you ?

[AMIGASYSTEM]

It is true that I said that the games use their own screen, but you yourself confirm the exception that does not make the rule.
Probably the game can not switch and close interlacing (certainly not my fault) that instead other games as you have told they can do quietly .

[malko]

By the way, the video is small with a nice quality. Which program did you use to record it ?