Ultima IV Remastered for C64...

[+remowilliams]

On 11/5/2021 at 12:21 AM, Sugarland said:

This is well worth a watch!!

 

Thanks for posting that.  I wasn't aware of the Ultima IV and V remasters, they are fantastic!  Playing them from a cart image is just amazing.

 

I was hoping that someone had done VI, but it doesn't look like it.  That one is pretty much the definition of unplayable on the C64 : P

 

[leech]

42 minutes ago, remowilliams said:

 

Thanks for posting that.  I wasn't aware of the Ultima IV and V remasters, they are fantastic!  Playing them from a cart image is just amazing.

 

I was hoping that someone had done VI, but it doesn't look like it.  That one is pretty much the definition of unplayable on the C64 : P

 

While I have not suffered through the 'fun' of playing it on the c64.  But when I upgraded my Mega STe to for 4mb of RAM, I created a ramdisk and copied Ultima VI into that.  The load times were awesome!  Even map transitions were a simple 1s lag.

[Gunstar]

On 11/5/2021 at 9:59 AM, _The Doctor__ said:

truth be told, the demoscene and pixel artists of today could definitely give the Atari versions a nice face lift, while the work of vinscool would definitely help the music and sound... using xxl's research and work on compression... well the... in fact I know a team, a community of people who just recently released a number of works that accomplished very high standards for our machine. There are a handful of games that kick ass and take names because of it. Imagine what they could do... Atari Ultima remastered, I like the sound of that. 3,4,5, and perhaps the full monty doing 6 from the bottom up.

 

Simply some of the best group of people have been hitting the Atari with a passion the past few years... it's an amazing time, thank you  and consider this a project that could be challenging and fun... and may take some restraint not to go too far... ah heck, do it both ways!

 

Tixelated characters perhaps? Maybe a little Soupp, the realm within Globe's grasp, it could be huge and XXL could make it fit in the palm of our hands. Such sphere would need the touch of ambiance the sounds now possible could give. There are so many more talented folks in community that might have a go at such an adventure... they would have to be courageous, and tenacious in order to do touch what some consider arguably the most iconic rpg on these old machines of all time!!

We need one and two remastered too, and brought up to par with the others, why just keep it too 3-5 possibly 6. I'd say the "full monty" would be 1-5 or 1-6.

[Goochman]

I dont think 6 is feasible on the 8bit.  It only came out on the C64 and not on the Apple II.  AFAIK the C64 version was chopped down and took many disks.

 

Just getting a flavor of U5 on the 8bit would be great.  I dont think U1 is a favorite on any platform so if time would be spent on enhancing the UI then 2-4 would be my targets.

[leech]

2 hours ago, Goochman said:

I dont think 6 is feasible on the 8bit.  It only came out on the C64 and not on the Apple II.  AFAIK the C64 version was chopped down and took many disks.

 

Just getting a flavor of U5 on the 8bit would be great.  I dont think U1 is a favorite on any platform so if time would be spent on enhancing the UI then 2-4 would be my targets.

1 did get a remaster on the IIGS.  I actually quite liked the first.  It would be interesting to see U6 on the 8bit, but it may require something like a U1MB or MyIDE image or something to prevent so many disk swaps.

[Mazzspeed]

6 hours ago, Goochman said:

I dont think 6 is feasible on the 8bit.  It only came out on the C64 and not on the Apple II.  AFAIK the C64 version was chopped down and took many disks.

 

Just getting a flavor of U5 on the 8bit would be great.  I dont think U1 is a favorite on any platform so if time would be spent on enhancing the UI then 2-4 would be my targets.

These days with EasyFlash CRT images and 16MB REU's you could pull it off on the C64 with no disk swapping at all, you could possibly even work around the limitations regarding Ultima 6 on the C64.

[+Stephen]

16 minutes ago, Mazzspeed said:

These days with EasyFlash CRT images and 16MB REU's you could pull it off on the C64 with no disk swapping at all, you could possibly even work around the limitations regarding Ultima 6 on the C64.

Likewise - the Atari has multiple ways of using not only 16MB ATRs (for the slow SIO experience), but multiple GB HDD solutions providing 80kB/sec file transfers.  Storage definitely is no longer an issue these days.

[Mazzspeed]

16 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Likewise - the Atari has multiple ways of using not only 16MB ATRs (for the slow SIO experience), but multiple GB HDD solutions providing 80kB/sec file transfers.  Storage definitely is no longer an issue these days.

Totally, the issues of the past aren't as relevant anymore.

[bfollowell]

4 hours ago, Mazzspeed said:

These days with EasyFlash CRT images and 16MB REU's you could pull it off on the C64 with no disk swapping at all, you could possibly even work around the limitations regarding Ultima 6 on the C64.

 

4 hours ago, Stephen said:

Likewise - the Atari has multiple ways of using not only 16MB ATRs (for the slow SIO experience), but multiple GB HDD solutions providing 80kB/sec file transfers.  Storage definitely is no longer an issue these days.

 

4 hours ago, Mazzspeed said:

Totally, the issues of the past aren't as relevant anymore.

 

All of you are correct, of course, but it seems like most of the coding that I see in recent years still goes for the least common denominator. What can we get that will still work on a stock 800 or 800XL? Why in the world people limit themselves to 64K of memory and 90K floppy images is beyond me. In this day and age it just doesn't make any sense. I mean, if we're going to have all these massive storage and memory options, and not use them to do things we couldn't 30-40 years ago, then aren't they mostly just a waste of time and money?

 

I know I generalized quite a bit for effect there, and there certainly are games and apps that come out that push the envelope quite a bit, take the recently released A8 version of Prince of Persia for example, but all in all, they seem to be few and far between.

 

That's my opinion anyway, for what it's worth.

 

[leech]

21 minutes ago, bfollowell said:

 

 

 

All of you are correct, of course, but it seems like most of the coding that I see in recent years still goes for the least common denominator. What can we get that will still work on a stock 800 or 800XL? Why in the world people limit themselves to 64K of memory and 90K floppy images is beyond me. In this day and age it just doesn't make any sense. I mean, if we're going to have all these massive storage and memory options, and not use them to do things we couldn't 30-40 years ago, then aren't they mostly just a waste of time and money?

 

I know I generalized quite a bit for effect there, and there certainly are games and apps that come out that push the envelope quite a bit, take the recently released A8 version of Prince of Persia for example, but all in all, they seem to be few and far between.

 

That's my opinion anyway, for what it's worth.

 

I really agree here... as I have multiple solutions for better graphics, stereo sound, faster cpu... most of which end up going unused.  These  upgrades would likely have far more adoption if there were a 'killer app' for them.  VBXE enhanced versions of the Ultima series would be one such awesome thing!  Now if we get the enhancements to be more like modern PC games, where you'll have a spread of options, we could still go from say a 64kb computer all the way up to U1MB+VBXE+Stereo Pokey version.

[+Stephen]

39 minutes ago, bfollowell said:

All of you are correct, of course, but it seems like most of the coding that I see in recent years still goes for the least common denominator. What can we get that will still work on a stock 800 or 800XL? Why in the world people limit themselves to 64K of memory and 90K floppy images is beyond me. In this day and age it just doesn't make any sense.

It's always been the curse of the Atari machines.  For crying out loud - we went from 48kB to 64kB as far back as what - 1982?  Never got used.  In 1985, we had the 130XE.  But in 1984, we had 800XLs with 256kB.  By 1989 - I think there were 3 programs that used the extra RAM (basically as nothing but a RAMdisk).  I have BBS articles (typed from magazines) showing how to take the 130XE to 320kB, 576kB, and 1088kB.  Again - in the 80s.  Stereo pokey was created back then.  When the machines were new, a subset of us (I thought all of us) wanted to max these babies out.  I mean - who keeps a car stock?  Stock engine - too slow.  Stock stereo - too quiet.

 

But now in 2021, I wonder why we don't revert to a 16kB CTIA 400 with only cassette.  I mean might as well be authentic right?  Don't use 80kB/sec HDD solutions, we can use 1kB/sec SIO for that authentic experience.

[+Stephen]

23 minutes ago, leech said:

I really agree here... as I have multiple solutions for better graphics, stereo sound, faster cpu... most of which end up going unused.  These  upgrades would likely have far more adoption if there were a 'killer app' for them.  VBXE enhanced versions of the Ultima series would be one such awesome thing!

Winter is coming to Ohio - 3 more days, and we get around 5.5 months of freezing temps.  I am trying so hard to resume coding for the 3 VBXE projects I have going.  It's hard to find time to code for Atari these days when I do it full time (sometimes 60 hours a week).  I will try though.

[leech]

16 minutes ago, Stephen said:

Winter is coming to Ohio - 3 more days, and we get around 5.5 months of freezing temps.  I am trying so hard to resume coding for the 3 VBXE projects I have going.  It's hard to find time to code for Atari these days when I do it full time (sometimes 60 hours a week).  I will try though.

Appreciate it!  I know the feeling (though I don't code, I definitely put in 60 hour weeks working on all the projects I'm connected to at work).  Fortunately I have some time off coming up, I should spend some of that time learning... though have put off so many 'house' things that need to get done too...

[Mazzspeed]

1 hour ago, bfollowell said:

All of you are correct, of course, but it seems like most of the coding that I see in recent years still goes for the least common denominator. What can we get that will still work on a stock 800 or 800XL? Why in the world people limit themselves to 64K of memory and 90K floppy images is beyond me. In this day and age it just doesn't make any sense. I mean, if we're going to have all these massive storage and memory options, and not use them to do things we couldn't 30-40 years ago, then aren't they mostly just a waste of time and money?

100% agreed!

 

If we no longer have to limit ourselves as a result of better, more modern solutions being available; then there's no need to be limiting ourselves. I have an U1MB and SIDE3, I want to make full use of those devices. Likewise, with the C64, if we can now leverage Ultimax mode for more memory and faster storage transfer - Let's do it!

 

Nice avatar @Stephen.

[rocky]

I propose a VBXE version .. 320x240 256 colors.. why not