linuxlove
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Video card detected: VGA
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It's DONE!!! Paku Paku -- new DOS game!
- Thread starter deathshadow
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deathshadow
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Ok, I read up on the MCGA and it IS CGA register compatible with ONE exception. I've tweaked my CGA code to not rely on that one little bit being set... which should make the MCGA work assuming it's being detected properly.
Give this modified .exe a try.
-- file deleted, see most recent post --
It also now calls the keyboard scan even while the music and 'eat bonus/ghost' sound is being played, which should clear up that hold the key down it beeps business.
Give this modified .exe a try.
-- file deleted, see most recent post --
It also now calls the keyboard scan even while the music and 'eat bonus/ghost' sound is being played, which should clear up that hold the key down it beeps business.
Last edited:
deathshadow
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Crap, so the new .exe won't work since the detection isn't working... Which means the BIOS isn't responding to the "PS/2" only calls. Wonder if that's PS/2 non-MCGA only -- which would be wierd since MCGA is on the result list.
that or I screwed up and am looking at the wrong register for the results. -- edit -- DOH, I was checking AL not BL. One moment for new .exe.
deathshadow
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http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/alphaEXE/P12ALPH3.RAR
Try that one with /debug to make sure it's actually detecting the MCGA properly. If what I'm reading in Ferraro's book and some other sources is true, that SHOULD fix it. If not I've got one more thing to try -- if that fails, well... then I'm out of ideas for making the MCGA work.
Try that one with /debug to make sure it's actually detecting the MCGA properly. If what I'm reading in Ferraro's book and some other sources is true, that SHOULD fix it. If not I've got one more thing to try -- if that fails, well... then I'm out of ideas for making the MCGA work.
linuxlove
Veteran Member
Still showing up as VGA.
If you can't get MCGA to work, it's fine. I've got a 486 that plays Paku just fine after unplugging the PC Speaker
If you can't get MCGA to work, it's fine. I've got a 486 that plays Paku just fine after unplugging the PC Speaker
deathshadow
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Actually, I'm sitting here looking at the explanations of function $10 subfunction $1A -- It says "set" (subsubfunction $01) returns BL,BH, but subsubfunction 00 only returns $1A, meaning "get" doesn't actually GET anything.
I'm going to have to dig through my books to see what's up with that... Could be the reference I've been relying on is flawed. Microsoft Press -- go figure :D. I'm going to add force video card types for 1.3 to circumvent that. Autodetection is nice... when it works. When it doesn't it shouldn't cripple you from playing it.
I'll check Ralph Brown's list -- it is the most complete one available.
I'm going to have to dig through my books to see what's up with that... Could be the reference I've been relying on is flawed. Microsoft Press -- go figure :D. I'm going to add force video card types for 1.3 to circumvent that. Autodetection is nice... when it works. When it doesn't it shouldn't cripple you from playing it.
I'll check Ralph Brown's list -- it is the most complete one available.
deathshadow
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Hey, could you do me a huge favor, and run this .exe on that PS/2? It runs the interrupt I'm trying to decode and returns the value. It works here for me in Dosbox and my VGA equipped 386... and SHOULD work on MCGA equipped machines.
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/alphaEXE/VIDTEST.EXE
That will at least let me know if that code actually works on said system -- if it does, then the problem is in my logic code somewhere.
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/alphaEXE/VIDTEST.EXE
That will at least let me know if that code actually works on said system -- if it does, then the problem is in my logic code somewhere.
linuxlove
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Code:
A:\>vidtest
attempting int $10 function $1A00
returned: 0x0C MCGA with Color Analog Displaydeathshadow
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DOH, now I feel like a right stupid twit -- I forgot to put a RET after setting the mcga value, so it was dropping through to VGA.
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/alphaEXE/P12ALPH4.RAR -- that should set MCGA to the CGA settings... if not, we can try the CRTC line-height reprogram.
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/alphaEXE/P12ALPH4.RAR -- that should set MCGA to the CGA settings... if not, we can try the CRTC line-height reprogram.
linuxlove
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And now it works ^_^
The PC Speaker buzzing is still here but only occurs if I press a key. Press any key once and it's there for the rest of the game even if I turn the sound off.
The PC Speaker buzzing is still here but only occurs if I press a key. Press any key once and it's there for the rest of the game even if I turn the sound off.
deathshadow
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Which PS/2 is that... I do hog the CPU a lot, could be not enough CPU is left to handle even a single keypress while the menu is being rendered. If that's a 4.77mhz machine that could be the cause. Since keyboard is COMPLETELY unrelated to the sound routines, it has to be the key-repeat and/or key buffer overflow that's tripping.
Do the sound effects try to play even with this buzz going on?
Do the sound effects try to play even with this buzz going on?
linuxlove
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It's the Model 25. Runs at 8MHz. The sound effects do play with this buzzing going on, and they don't play when the sound is off. The buzzing still goes on regardless of sound status.
I'll toss in my Sound Blaster 2.0 card tomorrow and see if it changes anything.
I'll toss in my Sound Blaster 2.0 card tomorrow and see if it changes anything.
deathshadow
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I was using a high frequency above what a speaker could produce for 'no level' on the PC speaker, since actually turning off the PIT connection caused an audible 'pop' on my 386. I've got a cleaner method for that now, so I just rewrote the code to use it. (the offending code was a leftover)
Does this fix the buzz? (I don't think it will, but who knows)
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/alphaEXE/P12ALPH5.RAR
Does this fix the buzz? (I don't think it will, but who knows)
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/alphaEXE/P12ALPH5.RAR
linuxlove
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Actually, it does. Thanks again.
If that screenshot is any indication, this is probably the best Pac Man clone ever made for MS-DOS. I'll feature it on my review show when it gets started (still in final planning stages), :D.
As for Adlib/PC Speaker - lots of games use them in tandem, the music on the Adlib with the PC Speaker doing the sound effects - Cosmo for example. If that's the way you find it easiest to code for this, then that's a then-accepted way of doing things.
If memory serves, there are patches for that bug now.
As for Adlib/PC Speaker - lots of games use them in tandem, the music on the Adlib with the PC Speaker doing the sound effects - Cosmo for example. If that's the way you find it easiest to code for this, then that's a then-accepted way of doing things.
If memory serves, there are patches for that bug now.
IBMMuseum
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Thanks to consider MCGA as well - It was only on the two 8086-based Model 25 and Model 30 systems...
deathshadow
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1.3 should drop later tonight -- the code is pretty much done, I'm waiting on hearing back from PCJr owners on a beta release over on Mike's as apparently the 'intensity/blink' bit wasn't getting turned off for them. The menu page got re-arranged a bit, the joystick support is up and running
Kinda funny the joystick support at 4.77mhz on my Tandy 1K... it's fun watching the game slow down when you put the stick in the bottom right corner and the game speed up as you move it to the upper-left. Gotta love that PC joystick interface method -- NOT. Thankfully in high speed mode (7.15 mhz) it runs just as smooth joystick on as it does joystick off...
So for 'joystick on' the 'recommended' spec is gonna be 7.15mhz or faster, while joystick off I've lowered the spec right down to 4.77mhz for this release.
Oh, and it is going to have high score tracking of the five most recent, which will be saved to disk. Some screenies:
Joystick Calibration
Click for larger View (800x500)
New Main Menu
Click for larger View (800x500)
Gameplay
Click for larger View (800x500)
Kinda funny the joystick support at 4.77mhz on my Tandy 1K... it's fun watching the game slow down when you put the stick in the bottom right corner and the game speed up as you move it to the upper-left. Gotta love that PC joystick interface method -- NOT. Thankfully in high speed mode (7.15 mhz) it runs just as smooth joystick on as it does joystick off...
So for 'joystick on' the 'recommended' spec is gonna be 7.15mhz or faster, while joystick off I've lowered the spec right down to 4.77mhz for this release.
Oh, and it is going to have high score tracking of the five most recent, which will be saved to disk. Some screenies:
Joystick Calibration
Click for larger View (800x500)
New Main Menu
Click for larger View (800x500)
Gameplay
Click for larger View (800x500)
deathshadow
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1.3 Is now released to the public.
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/paku_1_3.rar
To sum up the changes:
1) Added Joystick Support
2) Tracking of five most recent high scores
3) Saving of high scores to disk
4) New font renderer uses less memory and sped up menu.
5) Fixed bug with MCGA detecting as VGA
6) Fixed audio 'buzz' on PS/2 speakers
7) Fixed PC Jr. blink/intensity not being set right (maybe)
8) Memory footprint down to 67k
System Requirements
4.77mhz or faster 8088
128k of RAM (67,584 bytes free in DOS)
CGA,Tandy/PcJr, EGA or VGA video
System Recommendations
Tandy/PcJr, C/MS Game Blaster
or Adlib sound
Enjoy.
I had thought I had the slowdowns with joystick enabled dealt with on 4.77mhz machines, but there can still be occasional lag at certain points in the game. It's not a gameplay breaker, but it's not as smooth as a 7.15mhz or faster machine will deliver. Leaving joystick disabled it runs just fine on the slower clock speed.
http://www.cutcodedown.com/retroGames/paku_1_3.rar
To sum up the changes:
1) Added Joystick Support
2) Tracking of five most recent high scores
3) Saving of high scores to disk
4) New font renderer uses less memory and sped up menu.
5) Fixed bug with MCGA detecting as VGA
6) Fixed audio 'buzz' on PS/2 speakers
7) Fixed PC Jr. blink/intensity not being set right (maybe)
8) Memory footprint down to 67k
System Requirements
4.77mhz or faster 8088
128k of RAM (67,584 bytes free in DOS)
CGA,Tandy/PcJr, EGA or VGA video
System Recommendations
Tandy/PcJr, C/MS Game Blaster
or Adlib sound
Enjoy.
I had thought I had the slowdowns with joystick enabled dealt with on 4.77mhz machines, but there can still be occasional lag at certain points in the game. It's not a gameplay breaker, but it's not as smooth as a 7.15mhz or faster machine will deliver. Leaving joystick disabled it runs just fine on the slower clock speed.
IBMMuseum
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The PS/2 Model 25 (and Model 30) are an 8MHz 8086, so within specs for using a joystick. Time for me to put an IBM gameport adapter in one, and give it a try. BTW, the non-color version of the 25 is actually grayscale (just a different CRT).
linuxlove
Veteran Member
Runs great!
New high score: 117630
New high score: 117630