Amiga DOS

Ok, I'm sure this is a stupid question, but I've been trying to get WINUAE configured for a week now. I've got all the ROM files and the workbenchfiles. I have it set to load the 3.1 rom file. It loads fine, but the only screen I see is an AmigaDOS screen. I've been trying to follow the directions here: http://www.mameworld.net/easyemu/uaeindex.htm
to get workbench setup, I don't see the screens I'm supposed to. Am I missing something? All I want to do is to be able to load my game roms and play of course. IA

[Chuckles]

You know, if you're going to come right out and state from the outset that the question you're asking is a stupid one, then you're going to deprive some people of the enjoyment that they might otherwise get from ridiculing it. Spoilsport!

If you've never used a real Amiga before then you've got something of a learning curve ahead of you, though the best answer is always to read things like the beginner's guide, and to refer to other sources. There is no one quick answer to what you might be doing wrong, though I can guess at part of the problem.

You have to understand first that a number of different versions of the Amiga were released over the years, each featuring differences in what Kickstart rom it used, along with other differences in the chipsets, the amount and types of ram available etc. Games that came out for the Amiga naturally in many cases only work properly when running WinUAE with a configuration that matches fairly closely the configuration of the machines that were most common at the time it was released. You'll probably find that many games won't work properly with Kickstart 3.1, though most of the older titles love Kickstart 1.3. Other variations in the configuration can also come into play such as whether NTSC or PAL is used, and even the screen resolution setting can prevent a title from running if it is set too low. The majority of games also don't need Workbench at all in order to be played, as that is loaded from either a hard disk or a floppy disk upon booting. In most cases all you need is the proper Kickstart rom version and the game disk(s), along with the other configuration settings that reflect the characteristics of the Amiga version that the game was originally written to be played on. As I said, there isn't any one quick answer that works for all games.

My best suggestion for how to get started would be to start out with titles that you can find on Back To The Roots, and follow their recommendations as to what configuration works best. You can then experiment with changing those settings to better suit your tastes. After a while, you will develop more of a feel for what settings in WinUAE most often require tweaking.

If I may offer one other suggestion, please refrain from referring to games that you play in WinUAE as "game roms", as they are properly referred to as "adf's" or simply "disk images". The only actual roms that were ever used by the Amiga were the Kickstart roms, and some purists take great offense at the use of the term "roms" to refer to games on the Amiga, as that blurs the distinction between simple game consoles and what was quite arguably the most advanced computer ever produced for it's time. Using the appropriate lingo can make others more receptive to answering any questions you have as you go along. Just consider that to be a friendly tip. Good luck!