DM2 in PC-9800/9821 and in WinUAE and general emulation also

[Lunever]

Gets a bit of a long monologue.

Now the most interesting one, I hope I get that one working, DM Nexus.

I guess the instructions on the Encyclopaedia are not for the images it links to. It says to use a decode.bat that isn't in the package to convert the oggs that aren't in the package to wavs, and it says to convert the cue/wav/iso to cue/bin. I have a cue/iso and a cue/bin already without any conversion, but both without wav files.
So I guess I gonna take the cue/bin and just don't have any wavs.

[Gambit37]

You don't need the wavs if you have the cue/bin. The .bin file should be around 228MB, which contains everything. I can't remember if you need to mount it as a virtual disk first (using Daemon Tools or similar) or if you can just load it directly into the emulator -- either way, the 228MB file is all you need.

[Lunever]

Would have been nice to have the sounds as wavs though.

BTW: I figured why the IBM-PSV didn't work. Actually that's a quite stupid one. Don't execute the dmj exe as the Encyclopaedia instructions say, but instead use the skull.bat. That doesn't work either, but if you have a look at the bat, repair the wrong goto mark and copy the files to the proper path you can see there (move the graphics.dat and the dungeon.dat to a "data" subdirectory), et voilá, it works. Does have sound, but doesn't have music, dunno whether it should have music.

[Lunever]

Damn! Already got the Nexus intro running. But after the intro Girigiri crashes:

"Assetion failed FILE iwa\loader.c, LINE174"

I've no idea what to make of this.

I'm using Girigiri 0.8.3.b

[Lunever]

Strange, I just tried it again and then it worked. The first level (Hall of Champions) seems to have some strange sound error though. Once I was down the stairs and encountered my first mummy sound and music was normal. In th HoC all I got were some unnerving beeb sounds. But at least, its running.

I'll see whether using SSF will change anything in regard to the sound.

[Gambit37]

GiriGiri won't play Nexus properly. Use SSF if you want a decent experience. Trust me, I played Nexus all the way through with GiriGiri and it was very, very pianful.

[Lunever]

Yes, I already noticed that Girigiri suffers sound glitches and occassional crashes. I got SSF now too.
Girigiri seems to have slightly better colour and contrast though, but I suppose you can't have everything.
If you have already played through Nexus, which is along with TQ one of the 2 really interesting emulations, lets talk about it soon in a Nexus thread, and maybe about TQ in a TQ thread.

So, finally, after a long and often awkward installation procedure, I have all those emulations running.

Unresolved stuff:

I don't know how to mount DM2 for PC-9821 in Anex.

I don't know how to calibrate the mouse in X68. EDIT: And CSB still doesn't run on X68.

I don't know how to insert setmap=d into the amigaos startup-sequence in WinUAE or otherwise edit batch files in winuae-amigaos, without having the command ed cause a crash.

I don't know how to get DM1 have proper sound in the cmd (without dosbox).

I still don't have all versions of RTC and CSBWin at hand.

I'm unsure whether it would be recommendable to buy some joypad for TQ and Nexus.

[Gambit37]

I played Nexus 6.5 years ago and can't tell you much detail about it, my memory isn't what it was.

I still don't know why you need all the versions of RTC?

As I mentioned before it's about 100MB of data. I can host it briefly but not permanently. @Beo: Did you work out yet if we are near the disk/bandwidth limit for dm.com?

[Lunever]

Briefly will be enough.
I want just make sure that I can access my archieve of RTC savegames and all the old custom dungeons I have somewhere on my old desktop as well as any I might download these days.
Also, I find it interesting to actually see how engine and interface have been changing in the course of devloplement.

[beowuuf]

Sorry, been too busy to look into that

[kentaro-k.21]

Hi.
Here is a generic way to bring cdrom files into Anex86.
I don't have pc9821ver, and I don't know exact way to play that game.

• Create new harddisk image (xxx.hdi file) on Anex86.
• Launch MS-DOS like dos62_system.fdi on Anex86, and then use format /h to initialize harddisk image. (*1)
• Insert files into disk image with DiskExplorer (http://hp.vector.co.jp/authors/VA013937 ... dex_e.html)
• Mounting hdd image to Anex86.

(*1)

• Launch "format /h" command. It'll bring menu commands.
• Execute "初期化" {initialize} command.
• Answer "は　い" {yea}
• Wait a moment.
• Displaying "装置の初期化を終了しました　どれかキーを押してください" {unit initialization done. hit any key}. type a key
• Execute "領域確保" {space allocation}.
• Fill the queries:
• At "確保容量" {allocation size}. Leave it alone. It'll indicates maximum size.
• At "先頭シリンダ" {First cylinder}. Leave it alone. It'll indicates minimum location.
• At "システム" {system}. Select "転送しない" {doesn't transfer}. It always fail when you select "転送する" {does transfer}.
• At "ボリュームラベル" {volume label}. Leave it alone.
• At "実行" {executaion}, execute "は　い" {yep} to start allocation.
• After allocation, it'll wait at menu screen. Restart or reset emulator.

Thanks.

[Lunever]

Hmm, in Firefox I can see the kanji in you post, unfortunately they don't seem to match the font used by anex (which looks pretty gibberishish). I'll try to guess the correct selections in anex based from what you have posted.

[Lunever]

Right, I downloaded an dos62.fdi and Diskexplorer.

Although I see neither distinguishable kanji nor english but rather a mix of english and signs like $%$%$%, I managed to format the harddisk, and start the command line, copy *.* c: from a:
However, the system only boots from floppy disk, not from hd.

I used diskexplorer to copy the files from the dm2-9821 image to the hd image.

When I then start anex from the dos62 disk, I can start the command line, switch to c: and then execute the Skull.bat. All I get then are 3 lines of $%&$%&$-like stuff though. If I start the fires.exe I don't get even that.

Any idea how to proceed boot from hd and actually start the game?

[zoom]

it seems you have not the right language installed..
maybe there is a way to "increase" the ASCii settings -or whatever- beforehand
to allow for japanese symbols/kanji? could make things much easier..

[Gambit37]

It sounds like you don't have double-byte support for languages installed. Check your language settings.

[Lunever]

I'm a bit unknowledgeable there. Do I need to check this in WinXP, or in the emulation?

[ChristopheF]

On Windows XP, open the Control Panel and then the "Regional and Language Options". There should be an option to "Install files for East Asian Languages".

[kentaro-k.21]

Hi.


To install MS-DOS program from floppy into hard disk, try "sys c:" command. (assume C: drive is hard disk)

However you have to execute this command against formatted and empty partition. It fails if you have already copied any files into partition.


How about your text display in anex86?

Here is a sample...
http://kkdf2.sakura.ne.jp/dmfiles/anex86fontsetting.png

Thanks

[Lunever]

Nope. Activated east asian languages in WinXP.

However, the anex font stays messed up.

Seems Anex (v 2.78) has trouble reading the anex.bmp I downloaded as font. I only get a couple of characters in the font tab.
Maybe I need some other font bitmap.

EDIT: I don't exactly why or how, but I got the anex display proper kanji now.

[Lunever]

Kentaro: Can you explain further - maybe with another screenshot - how I can get anex boot from hd?

I can format the hd properly, and it is c:

However, entering sys c: right after formatting gets me a couple of feedback lines, mostly japanese, but still anex doesn't boot from hd.

[zoom]

if it is proper kanji, can you post a screenshot of this error, lunever?
you probably know how to do:
(press keyboard-button "prtscr" above numlock block on height-line of F12 key
execute/ausführen "mspaint" , there press ctrl+v it should paste you the printed screen from before.
cut to size
use web image upload(forgot name) to upload saved screenshot
paste url in your post)

[Lunever]

RIght, if I enter the command sys c: right after formatting the a newly created 80 MB harddisk, I get the following:

http://dmweb.free.fr/Stuff/AnexDMII/Anex_Sys.jpg

[kentaro-k.21]

Hi.
Thanks everyone for supporting lunever. It seems to be getting progress!

Lunever:
Yes, you have succeeded to transfer MS-DOS.

---
command "sys c:" answers,

logo: "ＳＹＳコマンド Version 3.0"
logo: "Copyright (C) NEC Corporation 1988,1994"

good case: "システムが転送されました。" {system has been transferred.}
failed case: "受け側ディスクにシステム領域がありません" {there is no system space on destination.}

---
Try set partition to bootable after executing "sys c:".

• execute "format /h" again
• select "状態変更" {modify status}. it displays partition table.
• press left/right key, select the item at "BOOT" column.
• press enter to toggle it.
• "不可" {impossible to boot}
• "可" {possible to boot}
• after changed, press esc once.
• select "終　了" {quit} to exit.

Thanks

[Lunever]

So, it does boot now, but I guess it needs some more files to show a proper boot menu like the boot floppydisk.

For now, it looks like this after booting:

http://dmweb.free.fr/Stuff/AnexDMII/Anex_Boot.jpg

[kentaro-k.21]

Hi.

Lunever:
It is booting up successfully!

MS-DOS queries current date and time automatically, if AUTOEXEC.BAT doesn't exist.

press enter or return to skip it...

"現在の日付は 2010-03-02 (火)" {Current date is Tuesday 2 March, 2010}
"日付を入力してください(年-月-日):" {Enter new date (year-month-day) please: }

"現在の時刻は 19:38:32.00" {Current time is 19:38:32.00}
"時刻を入力してください:" {Enter new day time please: }

---
I got PC9821ver from somewhere, with eMule which is introduced at Encyclopaedia.
I have eliminated some problems to run the game. Currently copy protection works, and I cannot run "new game".

---
I'll write a memo to get it run until "new game". I'll write later about launching file manager which is available on floppy boot.

write a file "CONFIG.SYS" with following contents.

Code: Select all

BUFFERS=1
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICEHIGH=HIMEM.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=EMM386.EXE

write a file "AUTOEXEC.BAT" with following contents.

Code: Select all

PAUSE
SKULL.BAT

insert 2 files into hard disk image.

if you have problem to name it correctly, rename the filename within disk image.

find HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE files from dos62 image, and copy them into hard disk image.

finally you'll get these files in hard disk image.

DATA folder
ANIM
AUTOEXEC.BAT
COMMAND.COM
CONFIG.SYS
DIREXIST.EXE
EMM386.EXE
END
FIRE.EXE
HIMEM.SYS
IO.SYS
MSDOS.SYS
NECIO21.EE
SKULL.BAT
STATS98.EXE
SWOOSH
TITLE
VICTOR.DOC

when you launch the hard disk image, skull keep main menu will appear.

Thanks.

[kentaro-k.21]

one more...

if screen is filled by white, try anexx21.e86 module in anexx21.zip archive. it is avail from http://homepage2.nifty.com/ans/ax/axdown.htm.

in anex86, make sure, [config] button, at [window] tab, the [Full color] item is checked

[Lunever]

Gonna edit this post a couple of times:

So far I have been using the config.sys from the dos boot floppydisk:

files=20
buffers=3
device=a:\dos\himem.sys /testmem:off
devicehigh=a:\dos\setver.exe
lastdrive=e
dos=high,umb


and also its autoexec.bat

@echo off
path=a:\;a:\dos;a:\commands
rem SET TMP=c:\
rem set lib=d:\qc\lib
rem set include=d:\qc\include
rem call sys_wall.bat
filmtnh


No matter whether I do this or not, if I boot from the hdi file it is considered to be A:, not C:

Starting DM1 or CSB or or DM2 for PC-9800 by copying there files to the HD successively did not work.
DM1 only shows the FTL-swoosh and then freezes. CSB shows the FTL-swoosh and the CSB title screen and the start menu, bit then crashes.
DM2 for PC 9800 shows some japanese message probably about copy protection, gonna load up that one right away.
DM2 for PC9821 doesn't run either.

[Gambit37]

change all those a:\ refs in the .SYS and .BAT files to c:\

[Lunever]

Roger. Just spent a couple of hours with sushi and kirin instead of japanese emulators.
If we are influenced by our food the emulator should run fine now

[Lunever]

BTW: Is there a way to use some keyb=gr command for the anex? In anex I can't even produce a "\" no matter what key I try, so circumventing this is a bit awkaward.