ParanoidLittleMan

Legolas119, please describe your settings of Steem . What TOS version you use, how much RAM is set ? Also floppy emulation settings in Disk Manager.

Not exactly clear for what will be good some Template Creator for Atari ST, especially in case of floppy disk images. Actually, why call it creator when handling them and want to change only disk label ? - called rather volume label. Or you want to generate diverse file names for same template image file as src ? Disk label is in ROOT DIR, and it has attributes for that. So, need only to change 8.3 filename there, or if it is missing add one, with proper attributes. That's all science. Of course, there is SW what can change disk label of any regular FAT12 floppy . http://atari.8bitchip.info/floimgd.php Section Most used floppy formats on Atari ST:

OK, I made test with brandnew Mint Linux Cinnamon AMD 64. My Ubuntu install from some 3 years ago was destroyed by some recent Win install, and no big deal, since I barely used it. Mint install took much more time than Ubuntu (even if ISO is shorter), but seems easy to get in with. So, depacked Steem 3.2 for Linux and TOS 1.04 UK and just one floppy image - for quick test. Aspect ratio is OK all time (monitor Full HD, HDMI conn., AMD Radeon graphic card on ASUS mainboard - that means standard HW, so better chances that it will work well) . Can not set any emulator resolution you want, but full screen is OK too - AR perfect (unlike in Win 7 and later). And bad thing - no sound at all, and playing with setting helps not. But it is 16 years from Steem 3.2 release, and many things changed. Likely it can be solved with some drivers or whatever. I would say that this is very good SW compatibility.

Steem 3.2 is from 2004. And there are problems with screen in later Windows versions too (corrected in SSE only) - like bad work in full screen mode. Some problems with direct X . So, yes, it's age, and some changes in video drivers, overall concept of host OS. I really don't remember about problems with AR in Linux, and I ran it in some newer distros. Will check it later in couple years old Ubuntu. At least setting it's window size with mouse should work ? But since OP asked about 'best for pc' , let's assume that he is not interested for Linux v.

Here is Dungeon Master with much faster start, and some other benefits, diverse versions: http://atari.8bitchip.info/ASTGA/D/dungmast.php Even STX images of originals. Now, this gone off topic - should open other thread about how to play specific games, with which keys and like. Some games need little waiting after initial screen(s), and good thing with emulator is that you can speed it up, so will wait less time. In case of Dungeon Master it can be couple minutes. What can DL on link above is way faster, max some 20 seconds. Some need pressing of something - usually it is fire button on joystick, mouse, space key ... And in case of Steem joystick might be deactivated - then cursor keys are Atari cursor keys. When joystick is active initial setting is mapping to cursor keys and right Ctrl for fire. How to switch - really should find it self in joystick settings ... So, Dungeon Master can be played with mouse, movement too, but is faster with cursor keys (non joystick mode).

That's good idea, although there are probably some games without that file. People can have idea what games are included by looking here: http://atari.8bitchip.info/fromhd2.php Order on disk image is approx. chronological - earlier ones on lower partitions D-G ..., latest ones on L - where is place to add more .

I did not say that it will not work with larger capacity cards. "limited to 1 GB" - there is no word card in it. Actually, I never had SCSI hard disk under 2 GB, except original 46 MB one with my Mega STE. And they worked fine with internal ACSI-SCSI adapter, and unlike that SCSItoSD did not need any settings for it. It just could access first GB on drive, other area was never accessed. And again 'it's just' that using some 32 GB SD card so, that only 3 % of it's capacity is accessible is really sad. And I already made corrections for such problems, back in 2007 : http://atari.8bitchip.info/modmste1.html Very simple, but needs special driver, what is on page too. Ah, btw. correct formulation is: The Mega STE internal ACSI-SCSI adapter does have the 1 GB limit . Mega STE limit is actually TOS version limit: 14x max 512 MB partitions = 7 GB - still much less than 32 . But some TOS 'versions' have exactly that 32 GB limit, and no, it's not with FAT32, it's still with FAT16 .

This is what people should look when starts with Steem: http://steem.atari.st/beginners.htm There are links to other useful sections. Usually, when game is on multiple floppy disks, and when it asks for other disk, like 'Insert disk B in drive A, Press space to continue' you need to insert it - in emulator it goes with dragging icon of that disk to large icon A at top, or right click and 'Insert in drive A'. Double click resets emulated Atari, so is not for this case. Then press Space or whatever game asks. Some may not need it, will autodetect change and continue after very short time. And all this is really trivial. There will be much harder cases with plenty of games: game A don't work with certain TOS versions. Game B work only if no disk in drive B . Game C works only with 512 KB of RAM, with more not (yeah, sounds very stoopid, but there are such), or works with 1 MB, but not with more. And there is more, like regional restrictions. I guess that programmers which coded on machines like C64, Sinclair Spectrum were just lost with flexible Atari ST - variable RAM amount, storage, TOS versions, control via mouse or joystick, keyboard ... They were used to 64 KB RAM, loading whole game at once (tape) . legolas119: when you manage to use STX floppy images, I will give you link with plenty of games, where no need to bother with disk change. And there are trainers (like infinite lives), option to save game state at any moment (well, that can be done with Steem and almost any game too, btw.) . And with simple key click can exit game and return to where you were when started game.

First to say: with Atari ST it is everything but not simple. Romset with working games ? We don't use word ROM here for floppy images. ROM is where is TOS (operation system of Atari ST) placed. And it has influence with playing games. There are many sites online with floppy images, containing Atari ST(E) games. For instance on planetemu.net . But you need to DL them individually. STX images are available mostly at atarimania.com . I already answered about STX images. Not motivating when people ignores answers . And it is not called STX games. STX is just floppy image format. It can hold copy protection, so is used mostly for imaging original floppies (those in nice boxes, and often with nice price 🙂 ) Most of games do not have exit from game - and again, you use complete wrong terminology and obviously have no clue how it works. You are all time in emulator. When see so called Desktop of Atari ST and when running game. Usual way to exit game is to press reset button - no, not PC reset button, but reset icon of emulator 🙂 Forget Ctr Alt Del . And there is much more, but I have other things to do at moment .... Thank you for your attention.

Should read instructions for Steem 3.2 - surely no problem to find. I will write here some specific things which may be not in usual manual, instructions. To use STX images you need to DL Pasti, copy pasti.dll in Steem DIR. It will greet you with message at every start of emulator. There are some settings too then. Like hard disk - that would be ACSI hard disk emulation (max 1GB), and you need valid image for make it work. And there are games which are adapted for hard disks (by original developer, by me, Superior crew, but will not work from so called GEMDOS hard disk emulation (what is not real one), so may copy them in working hard disk image via Steem. http://atari.8bitchip.info/astbegfaq.html There are instructions how to put those missing D , E ... icons on Desktop. But you need to set it in Disk menu, where can set active STX (or ST, MSA, STT) floppy image. Pause/Break for giving mouse back to Windows . And pls. folks, read usage before jumping in such adventure 🙂

I can not run at moment Steem SSE - it just works not in Win10 (missing some DX dll 43 ..) . But as I remember it has ACSI emulation with ICD extension (that's needed for image sizes over 1 GB). If it can not be set use Hatari, some later version. With it works for sure - I tested it with Hatari 2.10 . And write to Steven Seagal to update it with ICD extended ACSI + to work with Win 10 🙂 And will not work with regular Steem + Pasti.dll from same reason - more than 1 GB. Ask Ijor to update it 🙂 What I wrote yesterday was general, and related - older game adaptations (before 2012) will not work with GEMDOS emulation, only with real hard disk emulation (ACSI) . For instance this image is under 1 GB, so must work with all 3 emulators: http://www.mediafire.com/file/0hacypqbierqatg/1GB.rar/file Sorry, today I'm in ask mood 😁

That's not exactly normal. But it gives chance to people to learn something: how to fix it ? http://atari.8bitchip.info/astbegfaq.html I have now much more important things to solve than that list. + making list does not need some high knowledge about Atari ST and programming. Putting together this image took few days. Making all this game adaptations for hard disk took thousands of hours. So, if someone want to contribute, is welcome to do that list and publish here. And there are games not tested enough there, so another chance: to contribute, help to make it better.

I would not come with such general statements. There is lot of SW what looks great on both platforms. It's all matter of effort, knowledge invested. And unfortunately there is too much Linux distro, from different teams, companies, which don't collaborate enough, and force own ways. The result is need to develop special versions of popular SW for almost all popular actual Linux distros . And it just can motivate lot of people to turn to Windows - at least there user interface from 2000 still works and looks well in latest revisions in 2020.

Wow ! That's completely wrong way. You need to activate ACSI hard disk emulation in Steem SSE, set that image for it, and then will be able to access all partitions, games in emulator. And of course, it can be done in Hatari, in original Steem (3.2) - with help of Pasti.dll .

Hmmm - I guess that sometimes too much help is counterproductive 🙂 http://atari.8bitchip.info/profb/cfadisk_x86_x64.zip And to add that no need for it in latest Win10 revisions (dear God, now I'm advertising MS SW) .