Multi-Disk Game Consolidation

[pixelmischief]

Has anyone done - or thought of doing - single disk versions of multi-disk games? In particular, I am thinking of how convenient a single-disk version of Ultima IV would be. A DSDD ATR image that could also be written back out to disk on an XF551 or Happy 1050 would be pretty damned cool.

[_The Doctor__]

plenty of double density drives these day sure would be good, a hard disk friendly version of the all this stuff would be cool too!

[WIZZARD77]

There is this: https://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/forum/viewtopic.php?t=213

and this : http://atariage.com/forums/topic/268396-alternate-reality-dungeon-image/?hl=%2Bultima&do=findComment&comment=3821026

A few more are out there like Ultima 2 and Aternate Reality the City as well

[+Nezgar]

Theres recent threads where Wrathchild for instance made single monolith single disk ATR's of some multi-disk games like Dallas Quest and The Dark Crystal. They function as a single drive with sector numbers that go way beyond 720, ie map disk 2 to sectors 721-1440, disk 3 to the next 720 sectors etc, and code appropriately patched for these sector ranges for each disk requested.

 

Of course, having something that works on real drives that support higher capacities would be pretty cool.

[pixelmischief]

Theres recent threads where Wrathchild for instance made single monolith single disk ATR's of some multi-disk games like Dallas Quest and The Dark Crystal. They function as a single drive with sector numbers that go way beyond 720, ie map disk 2 to sectors 721-1440, disk 3 to the next 720 sectors etc, and code appropriately patched for these sector ranges for each disk requested.

 

Of course, having something that works on real drives that support higher capacities would be pretty cool.

 

Hmmmm. I will have to try writing one of those back out to a DSDD floppy using Disk Wizard II. If the drive is configured for higher capacity, there is no reason why it shouldn't work the same on a real high-capacity drive. Right?

[pixelmischief]

There is this: https://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/forum/viewtopic.php?t=213

and this : http://atariage.com/forums/topic/268396-alternate-reality-dungeon-image/?hl=%2Bultima&do=findComment&comment=3821026

A few more are out there like Ultima 2 and Aternate Reality the City as well

 

Thanks!

[+Nezgar]

 

Hmmmm. I will have to try writing one of those back out to a DSDD floppy using Disk Wizard II. If the drive is configured for higher capacity, there is no reason why it shouldn't work the same on a real high-capacity drive. Right?

Problem with those is they are multiples of 720 (single density) 128 byte sectors... not many combinations of real drives that give you more than 720 with single density. DD maybe, but that would need more extensive code changes....?

[pixelmischief]

Problem with those is they are multiples of 720 (single density) 128 byte sectors... not many combinations of real drives that give you more than 720 with single density. DD maybe, but that would need more extensive code changes....?

 

I don't think that will be a factor. At the end of the day, the ATR is a disk image. Once that ATR is being served up by a virtual drive over SIO, it is no different than a real disk. If the disk access is baked into the program and that program has been patched to access higher sectors and the drive/media has those sectors - virtual or physical - they should be served. The XF-551 gives me 2880 sectors on a DS/DD floppy. Unless these ATRs are actually larger than that, it should work fine.

[+Nezgar]

The XF-551 gives you 2880 sectors ONLY with double density. Those programs are designed for 128 byte sectors, and likely won't be able to handle 256 byte sectors...

 

Edit: with stock xf551 os only 1440 dd sectors is possible, unless using 720K floppy with new ROM. Can hyper-xf do single density on 80 tracks+double sided?

[pixelmischief]

The XF-551 gives you 2880 sectors ONLY with double density. Those programs are designed for 128 byte sectors, and likely won't be able to handle 256 byte sectors...

 

Edit: with stock xf551 os only 1440 dd sectors is possible, unless using 720K floppy with new ROM. Can hyper-xf do single density on 80 tracks+double sided?

 

Yeah. I called that wrong. I get 2880 with the XF-551 refitted with a 720K 3.5" drive. The stock XF gives me 360K and 1440, like you said.

[pixelmischief]

There is this: https://www.atarimax.com/flashcart/forum/viewtopic.php?t=213

and this : http://atariage.com/forums/topic/268396-alternate-reality-dungeon-image/?hl=%2Bultima&do=findComment&comment=3821026

A few more are out there like Ultima 2 and Aternate Reality the City as well

 

It seems these are MaxFlash solutions. BUT...they did port Ultima IV!! Very cool. Thanks for the pointer.