Lynxpro Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 The audio is catchy and I say that despite my disdain for the YM2149. With this being an homage to Doom, I hope they consider getting someone to do a MIDI version of the soundtrack. With the popularity of the Pi project emulating the legendary Roland MT-32, that would be a great way for all STs/TTs/Falcons to get great audio for the game. Use the STe DMA - or the Falcon's DSP - for audio sfx or something... atmospheric. I dunno. If they go gung-ho with the Blitter, then that leaves the TT out. But the STe/Falcon feature needed is ST PowerPad/JagPad/ProController support. That would certainly be in line with JagDoom. Oh, and since Dread can use Doom maps, you can't get more Atari themed than using Atari Corp's official WAD for 1196 Borregas Avenue. Can't remember if that was for Doom or Doom II but it was fun back in the day. And it would be historical if that's one of the former Atari buildings Google intends to knock down with their expansion throughout Moffat Park... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParanoidLittleMan Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 9 hours ago, Lynxpro said: .... If they go gung-ho with the Blitter, then that leaves the TT out. But the STe/Falcon feature needed is ST PowerPad/JagPad/ProController support. That would certainly be in line with JagDoom. .... Your 2 quoted sentences are in opposite 'spirit' . So, no blitter usage, because that will not work on TT, but yes JagPad... , despite it will not work with STs, Mega STE, TT ... Of course, all it can be implemented, even in single version - SW can detect on what HW runs, and depending from that set different routines, which will use existing HW. So, in case of TT it will do it with CPU, and still will be faster than on some Mega ST and it's blitter. The real problem here is time needed to make code for all different HW, test it ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 2 hours ago, Lynxpro said: Wait, FastRAM might require a 68020 or better. RAM upgrades are obviously easier on the Amiga [groan]. No, it doesn't. The STorm-ST upgrade gives you 8 megs of FastRAM: https://wiki.newtosworld.de/index.php?title=Storm_ST The catch is, it requires at least TOS v2.06 or EmuTOS. However, just add the Cloudy decoder card (link in same article above) and you're all set. I mean, if you're gonna give your ST FastRAM, why wouldn't you want to upgrade it's TOS as well, right? The problem with "easier" upgrades on an Amiga is...well, uh...you have to lower your STandards and get one... /jk... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrathchild Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 https://doomwiki.org/wiki/MIDI Couldn't Dread potentially pump music out the midi ports? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masteries Posted September 14, 2021 Share Posted September 14, 2021 6 hours ago, Lynxpro said: If he used all 4MB on an STe, wouldn't that cause issues with running the game off of an UltraSatan unless the STe had a FastRAM upgrade and the game was patched to use that RAM resource? Wait, FastRAM might require a 68020 or better. RAM upgrades are obviously easier on the Amiga [groan]. hmmm... do not use 4 MB at all, use 3.7 MB xD As when anyone wants to play Metal Slug port, you can place the game executable in the AUTO folder to save a bit more of RAM for game usage. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynxpro Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 On 9/14/2021 at 2:18 AM, Wrathchild said: https://doomwiki.org/wiki/MIDI Couldn't Dread potentially pump music out the midi ports? That's why I brought up the Pi32 project. On 9/13/2021 at 11:39 PM, ParanoidLittleMan said: Your 2 quoted sentences are in opposite 'spirit' . So, no blitter usage, because that will not work on TT, but yes JagPad... , despite it will not work with STs, Mega STE, TT ... Of course, all it can be implemented, even in single version - SW can detect on what HW runs, and depending from that set different routines, which will use existing HW. So, in case of TT it will do it with CPU, and still will be faster than on some Mega ST and it's blitter. The real problem here is time needed to make code for all different HW, test it ... Well, we've had 30 years since the Enhanced Joystick Ports debuted, yet there hasn't been any hardware upgrades for the stock ST, or the Mega STE and TT to use them. Perhaps that's been due to a general lack of games on the combined platform supporting them. If only there was a really cool game that would do such a trick.... On 9/14/2021 at 1:18 AM, DarkLord said: No, it doesn't. The STorm-ST upgrade gives you 8 megs of FastRAM: https://wiki.newtosworld.de/index.php?title=Storm_ST The catch is, it requires at least TOS v2.06 or EmuTOS. However, just add the Cloudy decoder card (link in same article above) and you're all set. I mean, if you're gonna give your ST FastRAM, why wouldn't you want to upgrade it's TOS as well, right? The problem with "easier" upgrades on an Amiga is...well, uh...you have to lower your STandards and get one... /jk... Good to now. And such sorcery! [but it looks like it isn't STe compatible]. I'm not getting how it gets around the ST's limited MMU... I guess it's just mapping away from it. I do find it interesting that it caps out at 8MB. I'm assuming 4MB of regular ST RAM is also doable in combination. Seems like a very good reason to upgrade to TOS 2.06. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ParanoidLittleMan Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 On 9/14/2021 at 1:18 AM, DarkLord said: No, it doesn't. The STorm-ST upgrade gives you 8 megs of FastRAM: https://wiki.newtosworld.de/index.php?title=Storm_ST The catch is, it requires at least TOS v2.06 or EmuTOS. However, just add the Cloudy decoder card (link in same article above) and you're all set. I mean, if you're gonna give your ST FastRAM, why wouldn't you want to upgrade it's TOS as well, right? ... Well, extra RAM, FastRAM - so RAM in area over 4 MB, and it can be max 10 MB size ($400000-$E00000) in some ST or STE can actually be used with TOS 1.xx . What TOS 2.06 gives is option to run some SW/PRG in that RAM area instead usual low 4 MB area . There are some flags in PRG header which determine in which RAM is should run. Still, SW must take care about screen and disk DMA - they can be only in lower 4 MB area. And SW can be written that self take care about using RAM above 4 MB - with something not unusual at all: direct addressing, not relocatable. Actually very simple - in src. just put line like org $400000 and seq after it will be not relocatable, and can call routines from it from relocatable part. Or just make whole thing for extra/Fast RAM area, what will be started with short regular, relocatable program. If I think better, it is possible to make program what will run usual SW in FastRAM under TOS 1.xx . So, 2.06 or God save us EmuTOS is not mandatory. Surely can make some things better, but gaming is not it, really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted September 18, 2021 Share Posted September 18, 2021 (edited) As usual Peter, you've got all the "technical" stuff down pat. It seems I misunderstood the Cloudy/Lightning ST/STorm ST docs when I first read them. According to them, you can use earlier versions of TOS under specific conditions. I think I might have glossed over the pertinent section since it was an option I wasn't going to use. Here are the links to the articles covering them, in case anyone wants to read them: https://wiki.newtosworld.de/index.php?title=Cloudy https://wiki.newtosworld.de/index.php?title=Lightning_ST https://wiki.newtosworld.de/index.php?title=Storm_ST I currently have a Cloudy board and STorm ST board installed in my Mega ST4 that runs my BBS. I'm seriously considering adding a Lightning ST board as well. Thanks. Edited September 18, 2021 by DarkLord Additional information... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPAU65 Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 (edited) Has anyone tried this on a normal ST (not STE)? I think I read somewhere it needs 2 MB RAM on ST(E), so as not that many people have STF(M) machines with that amount of RAM... Would be interesting to see how well it performs there and how the sampled sounds are like on ST. On my 4 MB STE the game crashes quite often but I think I read on their Discord channel that they are aware of it and hope to find a solution! On my (stock) Falcon with 14 MB... forget it! It crashes even more often, has no sound (just right at the beginning of the game for a millisecond), graphic glitches with the enemy sprites etc. The latter can be "fixed" with some ST game fixes for the Falcon (glitches are gone, performance goes down). But of course this game is in no way meant to be played on such an exotic hardware like the Falcon! ? Not leaving without an "all secrets (plus more ^^)" video on my STE: ? (btw. just before knowing of the cheat codes, I once found an empty rocket launcher somewhere! But I can't remember where, as it was empty the game hasn't switched to that weapon automatically and I surely ran around with that weapon already for some minutes without even knowing! ?) Edited October 2, 2021 by TPAU65 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted October 2, 2021 Share Posted October 2, 2021 Dread runs fine on my Mega STe with 4 megs of RAM. It also runs (sort of) on my Pak 68/3 equipped STacy. It crashes after a while but does start and run. There's some small graphical errors I mentioned in an earlier post but overall, it looks like with some small changes it would run on this "exotic" hardware just fine. Also, dropping down to pure ST mode for compatibility, that is TOS v1.4, 4 megs of RAM and the 68000 @ 8mhz results in it running flawlessly on the STacy. I thought the sounds, while obviously not as good as on my Mega STe were still fair... HTHs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Horizon Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 I am really looking forward to any Dread news - I support the creator on Patreon now. It really seems unreal that after all the attempts at Doom clones on the Amiga and Atari in the 90s, we are getting such a great new effort 30 years later. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+DarkLord Posted October 13, 2021 Share Posted October 13, 2021 I know, right? But I'm going with that old saying, "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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