Atari ST to Amiga: Starquake Amiga Conversion

[mcgeezer]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

I took the ST version and then hacked it to work on the Amiga. So basically look for colour pallete routines and replace, find the vblank routine and pointer to screen memory and redirect to something the Amiga can view.

Can be surprisingly quick to get something onscreen, then all the hard work starts to get it to be as much of a game as possible.

I have nothing to work with other than the Atari ST binary file and figure it out.

So is the ST binary in tact? i.e. your code hooks the calls made in the binary to Amiga routines? Fucking great work buddy, deserves a few beers.

[Predseda]

Thank you Galahad for putting this all together. Looking forward to future improvements. And now Highway Encounter awaits...

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by mcgeezer

So is the ST binary in tact? i.e. your code hooks the calls made in the binary to Amiga routines? Fucking great work buddy, deserves a few beers.

Pretty much. I usually find a version of the game that isn't on an ST compact because then I can't relocate the code to where I want.

So I found a normal disk version, copied all the files of the disk, and used a routine to relocate the ST executable to an address of my choice.

That binary then stays in memory, I load it up to the address I need, and then patch it on the fly, so theoretically, the ST executable will still work on ST, not thats of any use.

Some of the stuff to patch is very easy, other stuff is more tricky, but getting stuff onscreen is normally quite quick.

I looked at Warhawk, and I had that up and running in about half an hour displaying and letting the demo mode play.

The big headache is the realtime screen conversion routine which makes converting games like this so much easier. I don't need to code every single individual graphic routine, I let the main routine run that processes everything to the ST screen, and then realtime convert to the Amiga screen, knowing all the graphic operations have already occurred to the ST screen.

For more game speed, converting each and every graphic routine is the way to go, but theres always the chance a routine is missed or is interpreted wrongly.

But I already have a speed improvement for v1.2 of Starquake on 68000, so that will save me a lot of effort.

Glad you like it

[volvo_0ne]

@Galahad/FLT

Thank you for this, I've had a short play this evening, and it seems to run very very smoothly.

It looks like lots of work has been put in to improve the (sprite/bob)gfx
and
You changed the flippin teleport destination names!!

I love it, cos it now adds a new dimension to the game for us old (Spectrum) players.
Bravo!

V1

[jarre]

Great job done here, it's so cool to see how amiga is still alive. Thanks to Galahad we have this very good 2018 release. What more can we expect in the future...hopefully much more cool releases for our good old miggy..

[Greyfox]

@Galahad/FLT, Had to pop in and say congratulations on the work you've done on this title, Your work and team efforts simply seem to go from strength to strength on every new release you get tied up into.

Quality work my friend..Quality!

Have a good one

[turrican3]

thank you Galahad/FLT,
your code seems too work very fast !!!
i just tested it with winuae (amiga 500 512k) and it works flawlessly.
And a big thanks to adrdesign too, all his works on amiga music are great.

ps: your new system will help to port atari games !!!
Galahad/FLT, do you think that some coders used the same kind of tricks at the time ??? I mean converting at the fly ????
Last question ! Could it be the basic for an atari emulator on the amiga ???
gfx on the fly + same processor, it just misses the sound !!! I know this is not so easy.
Once again good job to every guys involved.

[DrBong]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

So.... its here... warts n all!

Its been a bit of a slog, it would appear that the 45 year old family man me doesn't have the same amount of free time as care free 20 year old single me.....

So i'll start with my thanks to the guys who helped on this release.

<snipped>

And thats it really, thanks again to everyone involved in the project, wish it could have been quicker, but working in a newish business, kids, dog, cats, grandkids (ffs!!)..... none of this stuff is any respecter of the Amiga

So, read no more, check out the zone, and be more...... BLOB

Very well done my friend, very well done! Kudos to you and everyone in your support team too for helping just for the sheer love of it (especially given the real life commitments) - commendable teamwork for the benefit of the Amiga community and we love you guys for it!!!

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

So I found a normal disk version, copied all the files of the disk, and used a routine to relocate the ST executable to an address of my choice.

That binary then stays in memory, I load it up to the address I need, and then patch it on the fly, so theoretically, the ST executable will still work on ST, not thats of any use.

Some of the stuff to patch is very easy, other stuff is more tricky, but getting stuff onscreen is normally quite quick.

For more game speed, converting each and every graphic routine is the way to go, but theres always the chance a routine is missed or is interpreted wrongly.

But I already have a speed improvement for v1.2 of Starquake on 68000, so that will save me a lot of effort.

Smacks of the dedication and love you showed towards your CM2 and Stuntcar Racer turbo patches!

The real icing on the cake would've been if you'd had time to do a Zzap!64 diary-of-a-game for Starquake in the same mould as Andrew Braybrook did for his games back in the late 80s and early 90s. Any chance of doing a retrospective one of sorts mate (pretty please)?! I think most would find it fascinating given that your methods of converting ST games are probably not the bog standard way (past or present) of going about it.

We'd really love to host a diary-of-a-game article in the HOL entry for Starquake. Adrian (aka CodyJarrett) has just upped a bunch of lovely screenshots, so mapping the whole game seems to be well on the way!

http://hol.abime.net/2111

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

So onto the game itself, some have spotted (wasn't exactly covered in secrecy) that Starquake appears to have turned into a commercial product.

So Fusion Retro Books used Starquake as a Perk for their Amiga book, which generated royalties for Stephen Crow and is why there are boxed copies (strictly limited, its not on sale with new copies being manufactured) online.

And a bit of a surprise, but we did actually get a payment off the back of Starquake, it wasn't much, but then none of us did it for the money in the first place, because that was never on offer when I started this.

I've spoken to all concerned recently and they all came to the same unanimous decision...... they all did it for the fun of it.

So it is my intention to donate a large chunk of it toward the Amiga Game Competition. If us contributing some extra money to the competition helps get more games made, then its a donation worthwhile, and subject to speaking to someone this evening (assuming he comes onto EAB), that payment will be made this evening

I somehow missed that the Amiga book Kickstarter was to include Starquake as a perk, so I was a bit aggrieved (read: pissed off!) when it looked like I wouldn't be able to buy a standalone copy from Fusion Books. Happily, though, this changed and I had no hesitation in parting with my money earlier this week for a boxed copy of Starquake including all the bonus stuff like game badge, coaster etc. Here's the direct link for anyone interested......they still have about 25 boxed copies left according to the website.

https://fusionretrobooks.com/collect...ommodore-amiga

If nothing else, I hope you and the others set aside a little bit of beer money from sales of the boxed copy for all your hard work! All the best to you & your support team in tackling future game conversions from the ST and other platforms......I know I'll be looking forward to any and all of 'em!

[Crown]

Crazy good to play at Starquake on Amiga in 2018!

Thanks for this great Black Friday/Christmas present Galahad!

[TjLaZer]

Excellent job, too bad us Americans cannot play it on NTSC hardware. I think it might be the intros that block it from booting, as the game seems to not use the PAL sized screen as there is a large black gap at the bottom of the screen when I tested it on WinUAE. Tried to enter PAL at early startup on my Vampire A500 and it would not finish booting after intro screens, even turned off caches.

Edit: Tried it on a PAL A1200 with B1260 and when I turn off caches it booted and runs.

I hope you guys allow it to run on NTSC, that way the whole screen is filled.

[Subzero]

Thank you Phill and all others involved. Much appreciated.

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by Subzero

Thank you Phill and all others involved. Much appreciated.

I beat you on another supply.......only 2000+ more to go lol

[kamelito]

@Galahad & the team thank you!
At first it was not working because I was in NTSC under fpgaarcade.
Work like a charm on it compared to my poor i5 laptop.
Are you switching resolution after the loading screen and before the splash screen?
Because I got unsupported screen reported by my monitor.
Green copper on the right is not aligned might be an issue of the Replay board.

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by kamelito

@Galahad & the team thank you!
At first it was not working because I was in NTSC under fpgaarcade.
Work like a charm on it compared to my poor i5 laptop.
Are you switching resolution after the loading screen and before the splash screen?
Because I got unsupported screen reported by my monitor.
Green copper on the right is not aligned might be an issue of the Replay board.

Hires interlace box scan picture and the switchovrr back to lowres

[Predseda]

Buy a better monitor, Kamelito. Amiga is too powerful for your obsolete display

[malko]

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

[...] Its been a bit of a slog, it would appear that the 45 year old family man me doesn't have the same amount of free time as care free 20 year old single me..... [...]

That's true for sure !

Originally Posted by Galahad/FLT

[...]

Instead of "quoting" your text, I want to say 3 times THANK YOU Galahad & "team" (special mention to Yragael who makes me laugh while reading his long SoC. In addition to your coding skills, you have writing skills )

THANKS for making this release happens !
THANKS for being a donator to the Amiga Game Competition !
THANKS for keeping the "Amiga's spirit" alive !

Great work

[Gzegzolka]

Thanks for uploading Starquake to EAB Zone

[seuden]

Congratulations to everyone involved. Great work.

[Qube]

Great conversion, many thanks to all those involved in this project, runs great!

Looks like the ST teleport codes work too, Galahad did you add any secret codes of your own? :-)

Q;

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by Qube

Great conversion, many thanks to all those involved in this project, runs great!

Looks like the ST teleport codes work too, Galahad did you add any secret codes of your own? :-)

Q;

Unfortunately not, theres a place where one of the codes is written in some of the graphics, and changing the codes would have made that one bit look out of place.