Wolfenstein on ST(e) - what features was it using?

[Xebec]

Youtube has been kind of enough to remind me that the ST got a Wolfenstein port much later on..

 

And knowing it's a STe enhanced game - I was wondering what STe features are being used?    My google-fu isn't working well here.

 

I assume it's using the PCM/audio enhancements for sound,  is it also using the blitter for faster drawing, and/or maybe more colors?  I saw the claim that it's using 32 colors on screen, but that may also be the case on STfm.  

 

I also saw it requires 2MB of RAM, and I'm curious if that's due mainly to textures/walls or if that is to help accelerate certain functions.. 

 

Lastly (separately), for STe enhanced games - will they typically use a blitter on a STf is one is found?  

 

Thanks

[Cyprian]

 

I'm not sure it uses any of the STE features:

http://s390174849.online.de/ray.tscc.de/wolf3d.htm

 

 

[Xebec]

1 minute ago, Cyprian said:

 

I'm not sure it uses any of the STE features:

http://s390174849.online.de/ray.tscc.de/wolf3d.htm

 

 

Nice find!

 

According to this, it looks like it just uses the DMA sound from the STE ("and above").  

 

Thanks! 

 

 

[ataricrypt]

As far as I know, it's the DMA used on the STe otherwise the same on either ST. https://ataricrypt.blogspot.com/search?q=wolfenstein It's probably the better option to download Wolf 3D from PP too, some fixes n stuff added... http://atari.8bitchip.info/SCRSH/wolf3d.html

[oakcitycomics]

Oh wow this is news to me. I know what I'll be testing out tonight

[ataricrypt]

It's unfinished but still a fantastic FPS. Enjoy 😊

 

 

[bfollowell]

At Peter's site it shows screenshots that look like the original PC Wolfenstein levels, but then he has a huge Jaguar Wolfenstein box image taking up most of the screen. So, what is this game based on, PC Wolfenstein or Jaguar Wolfenstein?

 

[ParanoidLittleMan]

Usual page layout by adapted games is: Title, screenshots from running game in original res. , game box scan (and that can be really big if is in good quality, sharp), then YT video.

In this case I used Jaguar box scan - that's closer to Atari ST.  And I think that all it is based on PC Wolfenstein, since it was first done for it.

To add that user can set active screen size, with smaller it will be smoother (better fps), of course.

 

[Cyprian]

according to Ray's website

Quote

graphics from the apple IIgs version of wolfenstein 3d

[bfollowell]

50 minutes ago, ParanoidLittleMan said:

And I think that all it is based on PC Wolfenstein, since it was first done for it.

 

Jag Wolfenstein is considerably different than the original PC Wolfenstein. It's not a port, but more of a remix with substantial changes and new additions. It has bosses mixed in from the prequel, Spear of Destiny. There were new power-ups. It only had half of the original Wolfenstein's 60 levels and they were simplified a fair amount from the originals. There were also two new weapons.

 

So, while loosely based on the same original source material, for all intents and purposes, it really is a completely different game.

 

Edited February 6 by bfollowell

[ataricrypt]

10 minutes ago, bfollowell said:

Jag Wolfenstein is considerably different than the original PC Wolfenstein. It's not a port, but more of a remix with substantial changes and new additions. It has bosses mixed in from the prequel, Spear of Destiny. There were new power-ups. It only had half of the original Wolfenstein's 60 levels and they were simplified a fair amount from the originals. There were also two new weapons.

 

So, while loosely based on the same original source material, it really is a completely different game.

 

I remember wolf on Jag being possibly the first game I bought for that console. Incredible it was and so playable too. Loved the SFX! Me and my cousin played it the death. Literally, in game, lol. Never completed it...

[masteries]

Blitter could be used for sprites rendering, as well compiled sprites will bring more benefits for STE

 

Otherwise, its an excellent work that a normal ST can run it at a decent framerate.

[ataricrypt]

Hit the * on the numeric pad for a high(er) detail mode. I use this on my Mega STe. Verrrry nice

[Lynxpro]

Wouldn't this be an example of a game that would benefit from the use of a 68881/68882 FPU? I could swear Wolfenstein 3D on the PC ran better on an Intel 486DX than on a 486SX...

[bfollowell]

30 minutes ago, Lynxpro said:

Wouldn't this be an example of a game that would benefit from the use of a 68881/68882 FPU? I could swear Wolfenstein 3D on the PC ran better on an Intel 486DX than on a 486SX...

 

If it did, it only marginally better, barely even.

 

My first PC style computer was a 486SX33 and I had a friend that had a 486DX33. We both played and I played on his sometimes. I could never tell any difference. Honestly, it screamed on both. That was long before I started doing any benchmarking or even knew what FPS stood for though, so I couldn't really give you any details other than it didn't seem any faster to me.

 

[Lynxpro]

16 hours ago, bfollowell said:

 

If it did, it only marginally better, barely even.

 

My first PC style computer was a 486SX33 and I had a friend that had a 486DX33. We both played and I played on his sometimes. I could never tell any difference. Honestly, it screamed on both. That was long before I started doing any benchmarking or even knew what FPS stood for though, so I couldn't really give you any details other than it didn't seem any faster to me.

 

 

You're probably right... marginal improvement [but an improvement!]. It would've probably done more for Doom and Quake. I seem to recall FPU performance in Quake basically killing Cyrix as a CPU manufacturer...

[Xebec]

1 hour ago, Lynxpro said:

 

You're probably right... marginal improvement [but an improvement!]. It would've probably done more for Doom and Quake. I seem to recall FPU performance in Quake basically killing Cyrix as a CPU manufacturer...

Yeah I think Wolfie 3D was still all integer code;  it was Quake that *definitely* liked FPUs..   

[bfollowell]

34 minutes ago, Xebec said:

Yeah I think Wolfie 3D was still all integer code;  it was Quake that *definitely* liked FPUs..   

 

Yeah, I'm pretty much an Intel guy, and have been for decades, but when Quake first came out, I think I was trying my first and only foray into the AMD world with a 486DX4-100 or 120. It was a decent chip, and seemed like I could play Quake so-so, but it wasn't until I built my next rig, with a Pentium-2 processor that I was really able to fully enjoy it, Quake II and Half-Life.

 

 

[Lynxpro]

1 hour ago, bfollowell said:

 

Yeah, I'm pretty much an Intel guy, and have been for decades, but when Quake first came out, I think I was trying my first and only foray into the AMD world with a 486DX4-100 or 120. It was a decent chip, and seemed like I could play Quake so-so, but it wasn't until I built my next rig, with a Pentium-2 processor that I was really able to fully enjoy it, Quake II and Half-Life.

 

 

 

Not to take the topic completely off the rails but what totally transformed Quake II wasn't the CPU used but popping in a Diamond Monster 3D Voodoo 1 board into a PC. That was like the difference between Star Raiders on the 2600 and Star Raiders on the ST. I was totally blown away, and so was my 133MHz Pentium. 

 

And also Atari related - even though it was the separate Atari Games Corp aka the "Real Atari" as they liked to legitimately claim - since 3dfx was used in some of the later Atari Games coin-ops...

Edited February 19 by Lynxpro

[TheNameOfTheGame]

Yeah, Quake was the reason I bought a Voodoo board.  Good times.

[ParanoidLittleMan]

3DFX was leader of HW accelerated 3D in middle nineties, and there was native support for them in some games. I had their last card, don't remember exact name, maybe was 3000 in it, was with TV tuner - came here from US from one user, so NTSC tuner 🙂 But video capturing worked in PAL mode too, although pretty low res. for today standards. And then competition got stronger and stronger, and we had Nvidia and Riva.

Couple years later Nvidia bought 3DFX .

Reminds on Atari corp little ? Atari was leader in some things too, but development was not enough fast to survive - said in short.

 

 

[calimero]

I had S3 Savage 3D back in days...

 

It was great if games had support for Metal API (e.g. DeusEx) and Savage cost fraction of Voodoo price...

 

 

btw 

if I recall correctly, some of Atari Corp. engineers went to PC graphics card manufactures back in end 80s...

Edited February 19 by calimero

[MrMaddog]

On 2/6/2021 at 3:49 AM, bfollowell said:

At Peter's site it shows screenshots that look like the original PC Wolfenstein levels, but then he has a huge Jaguar Wolfenstein box image taking up most of the screen. So, what is this game based on, PC Wolfenstein or Jaguar Wolfenstein?

 

It includes both the 30 levels from the Mac/Jag version (the Second Encounter) as well levels from the PC version (Third Encounter).  Sadly the ST port crashes when you play Episode 1 (PC version), but the same first level is also in Episode 0 (Mac version).