WHDLoad and HD Install option

Why exists WHDLoad also for games which already have the HD install option ?

[killergorilla]

Just because a game has a HD install option, doesn't meant it'll run well on different machines

A lot of games only work on the machine they were designed for (A500 or A1200, not both).

Plus, some installs fix bugs in the code, add trainer options, add 'quit to workbench' functionality...

[TCD]

Originally Posted by Another World

Why exists WHDLoad also for games which already have the HD install option ?

Because WHDLoad fixes the game to work on all CPU, RAM and graphics modes (well at least it should ). So even if a game has a HD installer, but that wont work on certain machines a WHDLoad patch is made

[musashi5150]

And remove the protection

[killergorilla]

Ah yes, and the protection, forgot about that one.

Oh and by the way... I BEAT YOU TCD!

[TCD]

Originally Posted by killergorilla

Ah yes, and the protection, forgot about that one.

Oh and by the way... I BEAT YOU TCD!

Forgot about that one too

@KG
Hehe, yep you did

[NewDeli]

Actually, I find it interesting to try to install games which have an installer. I am convinced not so many people have actually tried to do so.
I noticed there's a lower number of WHf'ied games among them, all things equal.

Some installers work well (with a quit option and such) & some games can even be copied from the floppy to the HD (I uploaded a few such games on my web site, if you wanna check'em out), but the whole idea of installing games to the HD took off rather slowly on the classic Amiga.

If you're interested in the history of WHDload project, you might want to check JOTD's early work on JST.

To me, WHDload is not a perfect solution to games long-time floppy dependency & ADF distribution anarchy, but it is definitely a valiant effort in the right direction.

[TCD]

Originally Posted by Deleauvive

To me, WHDload is not a perfect solution to games long-time floppy dependency & ADF distribution anarchy, but it is definitely a valiant effort in the right direction.

So maybe you want to tell us what you think is wrong with WHDLoad then.

[NewDeli]

Not sure our friend Another World will need to continue reading from this point, considering his remarks, anyway :

Bunch of old slaves barely updated, too few active Patchers, some games nearly impossible to patch... Not anything we aren't aware of, by far.

Why not ask the people who know about WHDload, but still continue to use ADFs extensively .

[TCD]

And you think a different solution will change the situation with HD installs? I think people like Hungry Horace and BippyM are the solution for most of the problems More patchers = more and better updated WHDLoad slaves.
The point about ADF's is for those who use emulation and can use higher floppy speeds and the warp mode. Try that with a real Amiga So there is no viable other option for someone who wants to use older games on his A1200/A4000 or even a PPC enhanced Amiga.
Why don't you become a patcher and help improving the situation?

Originally Posted by Deleauvive

Not sure our friend Another World will need to continue reading from this point, considering his remarks, anyway :

Bunch of old slaves barely updated, too few active Patchers, some games nearly impossible to patch... Not anything we aren't aware of, by far.

Why not ask the people who know about WHDload, but still continue to use ADFs extensively .

Not only i still follow this thread, but now it's much more interesting !

I add

Personally i never used WHDLoad and the reason is very simple:
the only advantage that i SEE in this project is for games
that are really BORING to use with floppies.

So the number is strictly limited to all games,
perhaps i could say adventures, that request to change disk
too much times (Beneath A Steel Sky is impossible to play, at least the
cracked version) and need to load the same data more and more time

But for the rest, waiting a while the normal loading is
not only no problem at all but also much more ORIGINAL

WHDLOAD games have protection removed ....
yes but this is still a problem
only because there aren't the manual scans wich ....
coul be done by a lot of people i think own original games
(this could be really a new PROJECT of EAB)
- furthermore not for all games they are needed -

[Retro-Nerd]

WHDLoad is the only reason why i bought an A1200 again.

1. no disk swapping/using real disks
2. no more crappy cracks with checksum errors, graphic glitches etc.
3. fast loading times
4. saving hiscores to HD, also for games which lacks this feature
5. removed copy protections
6. custom fixes, for original games with bugs
7. comfortable and WORKING install scripts
8. support for second joy button, i.e. for jumping
9. cheat support via Custom tooltype
10. Quit key with a clean exit to Amiga OS

and more

[NewDeli]

Originally Posted by TheCyberDruid

there is no viable option for someone who wants to use older games on his A1200/A4000 or even a PPC enhanced Amiga

Sure, I wouldn't buy an expensive A1200/A4000 or a PPC enhanced Amiga exclusively to be playing old games, but from I 've been told UAE can be used on these too without too much hassle, for the most hardware dependant games.

Emulation is both vast and limited in scope. I get to learn about the strenghs & limitations of WHDload, WinUAE, and I feel it's part of the fun too. I have my PC for eye-candy, jaw-dropping 3D games & MAME for instant arcade enjoyment, so I don't consider myself a hardcore Amiga games fan.

Some people use their Amiga to play fps and such, good for them, I tend to think the scene died in the mid 90s, at least the scene in which I was highly interested in. So I let people brag about how fast Quake runs on an Amiga and how cool this 2001 PC demo looks. It might be enjoyable, challenging, useful to the community, I am simply not into it.

As you know, I don't subscribe to the idea of WHDload going to real Amiga onwers & ADFs going to emulation freaks. Amiga owners whom I talked with are really centered on the beauty of their Operating System, I was rather despised to notice they don't seem to care much for PC emulation (except maybe the Amiga Forever project) & the old glory.


@Another world : Well, WHDload project can't be limited to reducing floppy swapping duties inmho, but I agree it's one of its advantages. Once you setup AmigaOS v3.9, you tend to appreciate the ability to load games upon a click on an (impressing ) icon. Then you can report bugs to their respective authors, I feel that's a way of contributing too.

Also, when loading ADFs one should be careful not to load the beefed-up WinUAE configs, that means slow access times, low res, quitting to Windows and not to AmigaOS...

Last but not least, WHdload gives people a chance to examine a game in depth. Only the coders themselves and the most talented crackers had such a direct access to the raw features of a game.

[TCD]

Nice dodge there Deleauvive You certainly missed the point I was trying to make. However good to see you at least told us what you think about it

[Galahad/FLT]

Originally Posted by Deleauvive

Not sure our friend Another World will need to continue reading from this point, considering his remarks, anyway :

Bunch of old slaves barely updated, too few active Patchers, some games nearly impossible to patch... Not anything we aren't aware of, by far.

Why not ask the people who know about WHDload, but still continue to use ADFs extensively .

Which games in your estimation are 'nearly impossible' to patch? All the tricky ones thus far have been done.

The reason why a 'bunch of old slaves are barely updated' is because there is no call for them to be updated, or they don't need updating because they still work, or the problems are not critical that they need an immediate update.

ADF's extensive use is pretty much exclusive to WinUAE as lots of ADF's simply will not run on a modified/updated Amiga.

I also point out to you, that we don't get paid for the work we do patching, we do it because we can and want to.

I will say this Deleauvive, since you've come onto EAB, I find you arrogant, incredibly annoying and basically full of shit!

Most of your posts are simply inaccurate and quite a chore to wade through, i'm sure you have your fans on here, alas, I will not be one of them.

[gklinger]

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

WHDLoad is the only reason why i bought an A1200 again.

Same here.

[EreWeGo]

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

WHDLoad is the only reason why i bought an A1200 again.

...and me! I had an old Amiga 500, but half my disks were dying. When I stumbled across WHDLoad, and the whole concept of "easily" being able to transfer files fom PC to Amiga, and to use a CF card as a hard drive etc, I was sold. I wouldn't have bothered if not for WHDLoad...

Wow, Deleauvive, that was pretty hard hitting, however, as it is your opinion you are welcome to it, I for one, and I'm sure the majority of people who use this site, are full of praise for the guys who continue to develop WHDload, after all they do it for free, and for the benefit of the whole amiga scene, without people who continue to develop projects like this the Amiga would have been dead for decades, I think it petty thoughtless to Dis a project just because you have no use for it.

Originally Posted by Retro-Nerd

1. no disk swapping/using real disks
2. no more crappy cracks with checksum errors, graphic glitches etc.
3. fast loading times
4. saving hiscores to HD, also for games which lacks this feature
5. removed copy protections
6. custom fixes, for original games with bugs
7. comfortable and WORKING install scripts
8. support for second joy button, i.e. for jumping
9. cheat support via Custom tooltype
10. Quit key with a clean exit to Amiga OS

Well, first of all great respect for all people working at WHDLoad

My personal opinion is not to be read VS WHDLoad, i want to be clear about this

But returning to this list of benefits (second point is about cracked
games, while i was talking about original games)
as you can see it's a whole of little advantages, nothing more than that

So i repeat i can play normally games like
Brian The Lion, Superfrog, Lemmings, etc. etc.
with no problems using original floppies

Instead in adventure games, for example, the benefits of using HD is quite obvious

Simply this

P.S. The point number six is really interesting, some practice example ?

another advantage is also this, if we can call it no.11?

11. Helps create more stable Ram installed states on handheld emulators (PSPUAE ) where memory is at a premium - saves disk swapping here too!