Ancient Art of War Atari ST to Amiga conversion? - Page 3

mc6809e · 26 January 2020, 01:38

I think The Ancient Art of War was originally for the Mac.

Should be easy to get it to run on the Amiga.

psoma · 26 January 2020, 08:31

Pretty sure it started life on the Apple II. The Mac version is B&W and not the best incarnation unfortunately...

jotd · 26 January 2020, 08:39

we have a dedicated port on a different language. I provided translated assets for all texts. Images & icons aren't translated yet, but apart from that, the game is here.

jotd · 29 January 2020, 22:56

Big step today: I was able to patch the main title picture. Check the zone

I've written a small library to handle bitplanes, and convert from and to png with palette order constraint (which is missing to most tools). So I took GIMP and mixed UK & french pics for this result.

Click image for larger version

Name: aaow_title_translated.png
Views: 169
Size: 15.3 KB
ID: 66048

Just the icons to fix now.

BarryB · 30 January 2020, 01:06

Excellent work, looks great!

Hedeon · 30 January 2020, 08:52

What about 'at Sea'? Anything known about that (not to hi-jack this thread) :-)

jotd · 30 January 2020, 10:21

well, if it's the same case as AAOW, something can be done. I'm not undertaking ST to Amiga conversion. I'm leaving that to Galahad

psoma · 30 January 2020, 11:21

This is brilliant stuff jotd... super impressive!

jotd · 30 January 2020, 15:12

thanks. I tried the IBM English version (just to create the screenshots for the title) and I can say that the amiga version is far superior. So it's worth making an English version, even if people will run that on WinUAE on Windows.

psoma · 31 January 2020, 05:48

Yeah - the UI actually screams "mouse control"... the fully keyboard controlled PC version is super clunky!

jotd · 03 February 2020, 23:57

new beta in the zone. That time most of the stuff is translated to english including all that crappy text in pictures!!! Enjoy (and report issues!)

version 1.0 (??/02/2020):

- option to use full english translation (took a while to achieve)
from french version
- password protection removed
- keyboard routine fixed
- stupid hardware disk checks removed for data disk
- cpu dependent loops fixed
- fixed to run with fast memory
- support for both french & spanish versions
- buttonwait allows to see intro picture (in french/spanish)
- added wait for left mouse button when giving up the game

The game has been translated to english by JOTD using:

- MS-DOS version for texts & title screen (after heavy rework of colors & shades)
- GIMP to rework text as images (most small font text are actually images)
- custom-made python tools to convert bitplanes to and from png images
- custom-made python tools to extract the text from binary/text mixed files to json
and back (after translation)

psoma · 08 February 2020, 21:29

Fantastic jotd - going to try this today.

I was wondering how you smashed this together so quickly when I realised you're responsible for over half the WHDs I have on my system

jotd · 08 February 2020, 21:40

lol yeah

it actually took me several hours to find all the messages as bitmaps and replace them. Since I didn't complete the game, french text may appear when you win a game.

I could cheat by killing all enemy soldiers just to see what happens...

redblade · 08 February 2020, 23:10

Great work. There are some positive blogs about this game. Will there be an .adf version?

jotd · 09 February 2020, 00:09

ah I was waiting for the .adf version question. No, as it heavily relies on whdload to patch the graphics. There could have been, but reverse engineering the graphic format in the files proved more difficult than I thought, even if I had the file chunks figured out. The graphics weren't native and use a strange planar format.

Of course an adf version could be done with whdload on it

There's also whdlauncher that could do the job. Not doing it.

But you could copy at least the text files on a floppy, and I can zone a cracked version of the war.prg file if you need it.

And if someone wants to create icons for the installer, that'd be cool.

psoma · 26 February 2020, 10:41

Looks great jotd... fired it up today (finally). By far the best version on any platform!!

Thank you!

Is there a simple way to create a Tool Type for the .slave file so I can add options (like PRELOAD) to iGame?

DamienD · 26 February 2020, 12:04

Ok, it's not fancy but in The Zone! you will find "AncientArtOfWar_ENBeta.lha"

jotd · 26 February 2020, 23:09

keeping it for any game that doesn't have a proper icon. thanks.

The whdload version has been officialized since. The slave in your archive is too old. Translations of pics/icons are complete now.

Retro1234 · 27 February 2020, 00:43

isnt that a Blitz Basic icon?

jotd · 27 February 2020, 21:28

I don't care, as long as when you click on it the game starts. But a real AAOW color icon would be nice.

29 January 2020, 22:56	#44
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	Big step today: I was able to patch the main title picture. Check the zone I've written a small library to handle bitplanes, and convert from and to png with palette order constraint (which is missing to most tools). So I took GIMP and mixed UK & french pics for this result. Just the icons to fix now.

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26 January 2020, 01:38	#41
mc6809e Registered User Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: USA Posts: 372	I think The Ancient Art of War was originally for the Mac. Should be easy to get it to run on the Amiga.

26 January 2020, 08:31	#42
psoma Registered User Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 193	Pretty sure it started life on the Apple II. The Mac version is B&W and not the best incarnation unfortunately...

26 January 2020, 08:39	#43
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	we have a dedicated port on a different language. I provided translated assets for all texts. Images & icons aren't translated yet, but apart from that, the game is here.

30 January 2020, 01:06	#45
BarryB Amigaholic Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: UK Posts: 4,702	Excellent work, looks great!

30 January 2020, 08:52	#46
Hedeon Semi-Retired Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Leiden / The Netherlands Posts: 2,002	What about 'at Sea'? Anything known about that (not to hi-jack this thread) :-)

30 January 2020, 10:21	#47
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	well, if it's the same case as AAOW, something can be done. I'm not undertaking ST to Amiga conversion. I'm leaving that to Galahad

30 January 2020, 11:21	#48
psoma Registered User Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 193	This is brilliant stuff jotd... super impressive!

30 January 2020, 15:12	#49
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	thanks. I tried the IBM English version (just to create the screenshots for the title) and I can say that the amiga version is far superior. So it's worth making an English version, even if people will run that on WinUAE on Windows.

31 January 2020, 05:48	#50
psoma Registered User Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 193	Yeah - the UI actually screams "mouse control"... the fully keyboard controlled PC version is super clunky!

03 February 2020, 23:57	#51
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	new beta in the zone. That time most of the stuff is translated to english including all that crappy text in pictures!!! Enjoy (and report issues!) version 1.0 (??/02/2020): - option to use full english translation (took a while to achieve) from french version - password protection removed - keyboard routine fixed - stupid hardware disk checks removed for data disk - cpu dependent loops fixed - fixed to run with fast memory - support for both french & spanish versions - buttonwait allows to see intro picture (in french/spanish) - added wait for left mouse button when giving up the game The game has been translated to english by JOTD using: - MS-DOS version for texts & title screen (after heavy rework of colors & shades) - GIMP to rework text as images (most small font text are actually images) - custom-made python tools to convert bitplanes to and from png images - custom-made python tools to extract the text from binary/text mixed files to json and back (after translation)

08 February 2020, 21:29	#52
psoma Registered User Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 193	Fantastic jotd - going to try this today. I was wondering how you smashed this together so quickly when I realised you're responsible for over half the WHDs I have on my system

08 February 2020, 21:40	#53
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	lol yeah it actually took me several hours to find all the messages as bitmaps and replace them. Since I didn't complete the game, french text may appear when you win a game. I could cheat by killing all enemy soldiers just to see what happens...

08 February 2020, 23:10	#54
redblade Zone Friend Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Middle Earth Age: 40 Posts: 2,127	Great work. There are some positive blogs about this game. Will there be an .adf version?

09 February 2020, 00:09	#55
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	ah I was waiting for the .adf version question. No, as it heavily relies on whdload to patch the graphics. There could have been, but reverse engineering the graphic format in the files proved more difficult than I thought, even if I had the file chunks figured out. The graphics weren't native and use a strange planar format. Of course an adf version could be done with whdload on it There's also whdlauncher that could do the job. Not doing it. But you could copy at least the text files on a floppy, and I can zone a cracked version of the war.prg file if you need it. And if someone wants to create icons for the installer, that'd be cool.

26 February 2020, 10:41	#56
psoma Registered User Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 193	Looks great jotd... fired it up today (finally). By far the best version on any platform!! Thank you! Is there a simple way to create a Tool Type for the .slave file so I can add options (like PRELOAD) to iGame?

26 February 2020, 12:04	#57
DamienD Banned Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London / Sydney Age: 47 Posts: 20,420	Ok, it's not fancy but in The Zone! you will find "AncientArtOfWar_ENBeta.lha"

26 February 2020, 23:09	#58
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	keeping it for any game that doesn't have a proper icon. thanks. The whdload version has been officialized since. The slave in your archive is too old. Translations of pics/icons are complete now.

27 February 2020, 00:43	#59
Retro1234 Phone Homer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 5150 Posts: 5,775	isnt that a Blitz Basic icon?

27 February 2020, 21:28	#60
jotd This cat is no more Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: FRANCE Age: 52 Posts: 8,197	I don't care, as long as when you click on it the game starts. But a real AAOW color icon would be nice.

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