CD32 games with "weird startup procedure" - It's WinUAE problem mainly

[Velociraptor5]

As we were speaking cca 2 threads below about games, they need "weird startup procedure" (The procedure, when you have to wait till the CD32 start jingle has played and then you can insert CD image for proper startup of the game, otherwise the games don't work due to "not enough memory"). So, in the last post of the thread I wrote list of problematic games, they need this procedure. The post is here:
https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p...96&postcount=8

I did yet a few tests again on absolutely basic CD32 quickstart configurations with "Best compatibility" (x64 WinUAE) and CD inserted through "CD & Hard drives - Select image" before "Start", and tried to compare WinUAE 4.4.0 vs. 4.9.1 and found out... not exactly good news. There are quite significant differences.

Here are the same games again, mentioned in my post, tested and compared in both WinUAE:

1) Alien Breed 3D cd32couk
If CD is inserted before CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
totally weird, once works perfectly, once after menu and start text goes to black screen or goes to HALT3

-WinUAE 4.9.1
always falls to "Arabuusimiehet.WinUAE bug window" mentioned in post #1 here:
https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p...98&postcount=1
-------------------------------------------
If CD is inserted after CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
The game works correctly

-WinUAE 4.9.1
The game works correctly



2) Kang Fu
If CD is inserted before CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
falls to "Out of memory", if "Start" is pressed in main menu

-WinUAE 4.9.1
once the same behaviour like above, once falls to "reboot" immediately after title menu appears
-------------------------------------------
If CD is inserted after CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
The game works correctly (as it is mentioned in game manual)

-WinUAE 4.9.1 !!!!!!!!!!
The game doesn't work correctly, the game still falls to "Out of memory", if "Start" is pressed in main menu



3) Wendetta 2175
If CD is inserted before CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
falls to "Sorry! Not enought memory!" when mission intro (after main menu) is cancelled by fire button

-WinUAE 4.9.1
falls to "Sorry! Not enought memory!" immediatelly after the boot
-------------------------------------------
If CD is inserted after CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
The game works correctly

-WinUAE 4.9.1
The game works correctly



4) Super Stardust
If CD is inserted before CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
the game works correctly

-WinUAE 4.9.1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the game falls to "LOADER: not enough memory available"
-------------------------------------------
If CD is inserted after CD32 jingle...

-WinUAE 4.4.0
The game works correctly

-WinUAE 4.9.1
The game works correctly



5) Fightin' Spirit
The game never works. It can be run in WinUAE 4.4.0 or WinUAE 4.9.1 and CD can be inserted before or after CD32 jingle. Here can help only 4MB chip and more... (or boot Without the startup)




Yet note...
when I was doing a few tests yesterday in WinUAE 4.9.1 so I tested the games also by my own saved CD32 basic best compatible configuration (Hardware setting is exactly the same as in Quick Start configuration), but this configuration was saved in WinUAE 4.4.0 long time ago. And I got different results compared to my today tests with clean quickstart configurations, somewhere between WinUAE 4.4.0 and 4.9.1. For an examle Super Stardust worked, if CD was inserted before CD32 jingle. That's great news for those, who have 50 000 own configurations (It's not my case), that compatibility of configuration files is not guaranteed in time with WinUAE versions.

[Toni Wilen]

If you used Quickstart CD32 config, there is a bug (that I only learned yesterday), it enables DF0: even if it appears to be disabled in QS panel. Check Floppy panel to confirm.

Active drive will require some memory which probably explains this problem..