CaSTaway/GP 13.1 released!

[dgnadt]

I've tried many games, and there is my diagnostic:

Digits sounds are improved, but still a bit crappy
I haven't noticed that YM sounds are better... How to compare?!?

It still the best emulator with GPengine, and definitively my favourite

I really hope that digits will be improved ( Turricaaaaaan!! Wings Of Deaaaaath!! lol)

A little idea: maybe an option to have REALLY full screen stretch (that could be really great)

You did really great work!! Keep it up!!

Fullscreen stretch but hiding the mode lines? Its not really practical, butI suppose I could perhaps add it. ie: The blank at the bottom is kept because it keeps things fast, and because it now runs at ST 1:1 resolution.. its exactly the right proportion an ST was supposed to be. If we go stretch vertical to full screen, then drawing the virtual ekyboard would be both more work, and would *greatly* slow down the emulation (see Frodo's onscreen keyboard, how it impacts performance, and it would be much worse for CaSTaway for a variety of reasons)

So it coudl be done, if we ignore the modelines, etc..

Digitized samples should greatly improve very shortly

jeff

Fist let me say how happy I am that you are still supporting the GP32. I was afraid that you wouldn't be interested any more now that you had a Zodiac! Second, your ST emulator is pure gold! I absolutely love it!

I was wondering if I might make a couple suggestions? Can the gamma be set up differently? A gamma setting of 1 works but is a bit dark and 2 and up don't have a high enough contrast. Frodo would be a good example to follow. You can adjust contrast and brightness with that one.

Also, would it be possible to move the ST screen down just slightly. Shadows are cast at the very top portion of the screen on the GP32 and the first few vertical lines are hard to see at the top. Nothing major just wondering.

Thanks for a great emulator and for all the memories it brings back.

dgnadt

 

[skeezix]

I've been giving CaSTaway some serious road testing and found a problem (bug? - maybe) as follows

Using Automation disk 1 (A_001V2.ST), I loaded Sentinel (option 5) by mistake, once it loaded, reset castaway and reloaded the same disk and when greeted with the disk menu, none of the virtual keyboard worked.

Reset castaway a few times and then got msg "ERROR: Out of RAM!".

I've tried recreating the problem and the keyboard thing happens every time until you reboot the gp32, but haven't experienced the error again.

:rolleyes:

This isn't a major problem but thought I would post it anyway!

The "reset Castaway" does have some flaws; I never got much chasnce to figure them out.. somethign funny for sure. ie: It often works as expected, letting you play other disks without restarting the GP32 (which can also be done within the emu). But it often does get muckered up somewhere, so it works offly until you reset So I know about it, but its a pain, and time is tight, so I let it slide -- like you said, not too annoying

jeff

 

[skeezix]

I was wondering, is there a way that you could maybe have a frontend that you just select the game you want to play and ur away into the game? kind of like a usual console emulator like the master system or snes ones? just wondered.

CaSTaway/GP has a really nice game picker built in.. check the README included.

Essentialy, once you've scanned the disks you care about (hitting Select to do so), then you can hit I think the right-trigger to toggle into game-list mode, which lists games by game, instead of by disk. You can also set a config file to default to game list mode instead of disk list mode.

jeff

 

[skeezix]

Gamma could use work, as my function is actually just a cheap palette trick. Works not bad, but not great either. I've not had much chance to look into a smart palette funciton.. super busy

Don't worry.. I don't intend on dropping the ol' GP, and shes still an old friend, but I must admit that time is really rough right now so I have to live in Palm OS (thats where I make my living). But I still keep on top of GP32emu and GP32x, and any new features that I put into the Zodiac version I hope to also put into the GP32 version... (thats why theres likely going to be a 10.2 with fixed sample playback.. I got it fixed in the Palm OS version nicely, so now its time for a backport..

Its tough, but I don't want to abandon any old friends

Oh, as to moving the picture down.. its easily done on the surface, but it could take work.. ie: Since the "GUI" is designed to fit into the bottom portion of the screen. Moving it down means the virtual keyboard won't fit anymore, the floppy icons won't fit anymore, etc. A drag.

I never noticed the shadowing until I came back to GP32 after a months absence, and was like "Crap, where'd that come from?!"

jeff

 

[scottm]

Great update skeezix - the ST was always my 2nd fav comp after my c64.

Medium res update is great - lot more games now playable (sorcerer lord, old adventures now playable).

Reset ST doesn't seem to work as well - have to reset the gp32 more than previous version (virtual keyboard seems to get confused). Maybe I've just noticed this since testing the new version.

Any chance of you incorporating support for the ericsson keyboard at next release? I'm sure we could group together to buy you one - there's another thread about this in General. Now that we have a working cable and drivers I'm sure there are going to be plenty people getting the keyboard - would make a lot of games much more playable.

thx again for the update and plz stay with the gp32