Outcast (castaway Module) - Third Alpha


skeezix

Internal Development
Joined
Mar 11, 2003
Messages
8,063
Website
www.codejedi.com
No rest for the wicked, I say.

I might be tied up for a day or two, we'll see.. maybe upgrading my ancient laptop to a merely old laptop, which means reinstalls of everything. (And thats a _lot_ for me)

Anyway, I'll keep beeting it up, but this ought tide you over very nicely ;)

003
---
Known issue: msa doesn't work yet?!
Known issue: exit not returning to gp2x launcher?
Known issue: sample playback bad; YM audio pretty good
Known issue: CPU clock speed not yet settable

With the virutal keyboard working now, the emu shoud be getting really quite
useful! Now if only I get a moment to clean up sound and add some more
finesse..

NEW: Virtual keyboard -- needed for entering text or function keys etc of
course, but also to get into a lot of games; the crack groups often put
loader demos, or multiple games on a disk, and so you sometimes need to
hit spacebar, or a number, of function key. Of course, some games require
keyboard controls, too.
o hit SELECT to toggle keyboard mode on and off
o in live mode keyboard will show only 3 rows at a time; scroll the
key press selection up or down to scroll the keyboard display!
o hit 'X' to pick a key; while the keyboard is active, the mouse and
joystick are disabled, but the emu runs along full speed
NEW: Input modes a little more defined
o Select a mode using the runtime menu (hit START to bring it up)
o Joystick mode - for using the ST joystick with gp2x stick
o X for fire
o Mouse mode - for using the ST mouse with gp2x stick
o A and B for left and right mouse clicking
o Both mode - for using both ST mouse and joystick at once using gp2x stick
o Cursor mode - for operating ST cursor keys using gp2x stick
o Custom mode - for customizing all the buttons; to be done.
o While keyboard is active, most modes will be disabled
FIX: YM chipmusic is pretty good now, though sample playback is still
asshat; I'll work on that more. Always running out of time ;)
NOTE: Most of the START runtime menu should work fine now; CPU Mhz setting
isn't yet available, but throttle and frameskip and disk management and
savestates and control modes should all be working!
CHG: Welcome screen text

Get it at my website:
http://www.codejedi.com/outcast

Or at the gp2x download archive

Enjoy!

jeff
 
This is GREAT.
This emulator has gone from nowhere to almost perfect in a week!
Keep up the super work, we all appreciate it.
I am looking forward to seeing .msa games work.
Thanks!
 
I allways wonder, when people release a "0.00001gamma-release", and the program works like charm, what are they going to with the remaining 0.99999 version numbers? :)
 
Just in from work, and another update :) .

Now to start playing Starglider II and Elite properly with the keyboard :D .

Do you ever sleep jeff ?

Tony
 
I used to be an insomniac (obviously ;), but my wife has kept me sane for a few years ;)

MSA is next on the list, and better sample playback.

jarska -- I just start at the bottom and work up, for 'release number'; makes it earier. Thats why its 003 and not 0.0.3 :)

Once MSA works, I'll consider it of beta quality, since it'll be 'usable' in my eyes. (OKay, its already highly usable, but I consider MSA to be important :)

jeff
 
I allways wonder, when people release a "0.00001gamma-release", and the program works like charm, what are they going to with the remaining 0.99999 version numbers? :)

Probably they are being tired of some companies using every next number even for minor upgrades?

Perhaps see that there is always room for an improvement like bug fix what isn't warranting a major revision?

And the "1.0" is sugesting something what is "final" where it simply can not be.

And for programs like Castaway what would "2.0" mean really? Software is always work in a progress so bloated version naming is only food for marketing departments.

Anyway - another great relase! Now it's fully usable but I have few suggestions:
- add volume control
- add autofire option
- add some kind of config file
- fix sample playback
- fix raster effects (the clut changes per scanline) because they are now somewhat not accurate (they are vibrating)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I'll add to my todo list; I'd not been keeping it up to day so need to fill i tin again :) volume is a good point; autofire is easily done (already built, just no UI for it.); config files are planned for rebinding keys and maybe setting default modes (see the GP32 manual for how I did it last time.. likely similarly this time. Just list custrom configs as modes in the Control menu)

Glad you're digging it :)

First priority is the MSA's; thats annoying me, since all the code is in place and it works in gp32, psp, palm/zodiac -- all my builds but this one ;)

jeff
 
Wonderful! I was looking forward to getting home to do and great to see the improvements :)

Music is sounding much better, but still a bit fast in some games/cases and in some games (eg. Xenon) sounding like it's on helium ;) - I'm looking forward to being able to hear all my favourite ST music on the go :D

One thing that's sad (at least until custom mode is available) is now xenon is unplayable (without Y acting as space). If these buttons do nothing in joystick mode, maybe you could add Y as space? Just a thought :)

A few games don't seem to boot properly - is there any way to fix this? EG. The eliminator image I have runs fine on STEEM on the PC, but on the gp2x it just goes to the desktop rather than auto-executing. Likewise with a lot of others too that I have tried so far. Doesn't affect all of them though (On most it isn't too bad a problem - it opens to the desktop, I open the floppy, and run the game. Some hide all the files though :( and thus don't work )

Other than that, just had a good bit of time playing outrun, which plays wonderfully ;)

[Edit]
Quick little feature request: In the disk management menu, would it be possible to have an option 'Insert disk into A and reboot ST' that'd insert the disk, reboot the ST and switch to the emulation?

Also, in regards to your post in the previous topic - a speedup button would probably be the best solution - allowing for easy changing between speed when needed and accuracy when needed at one push. (Similar to mousekeys on the PC. Use the arrow keys to move the mouse around, holding down control at the same time speeds it up)

Just noticed a rather odd bug. After using it for a bit, it seems to lose all controls. Menu works, and can open/reload but trying to use the mouse, keyboard or joystick in emulation results in nothing. Switching control modes appears to make no difference. When this occurs, turning on and off the gp2x seems to be the only way to solve this :(

Finally, not sure if it's said somewhere already or not (I apologise if I missed it) but medium resolution seems dead for now. Will this be possible to fix, or a limitation that's hard to get round?

[/Edit]

Thanks :)
 
If fast, perhaps its a UK (PAL) game.. try setting throttle to 50Hz.

I could set Y back to space; I was thinking of joystick up, for jumping, but maybe space is better.

CaSTaway isnt' the most compatible.. maybe 80%; I'm working on that, but its tough going. Eliminator works -- I think the Automation crack. Certainly STeem and SainT are better emus, but they're also much slower and require a desktop ;)

I'll also be adding Hatari and STonX into the system after a bit, so there will be your choice of emulation core, so chances are good.

Or if its MSA, just wait.. MSA is currently broken ;)

jeff
 
I could set Y back to space; I was thinking of joystick up, for jumping, but maybe space is better.

jeff
Space would be better than a joystick direction.

Though even better would be on the fly redefineable saveable/loadable templates. That's what I'd really like to see. Would add a ton of ease to playing many of the more complex games without having to bring up a virtual keyboard. Not that I don't love the virtual keyboard ;) :)
 
Last edited by a moderator:
*g* Dont' worry, day one I said I'd do config files. But lets also note that few people would use them .. lets get things working well and easily first, then worry about the hardcore ;)

jeff

Space it is ;)
 
Really great work Skeezix!

Id like to also request the option for inserting a disk AND rebooting and a fix for quitting the emu.

Keep it up :)
 
Wow - I missed out on version 002 and went straight 003.

This to me is on its way to being the best emu on the GP2X, Skeezix you are some coder and fast to boot.

I would also like to request a volume control (The misses keeps asking me to turn it down).

I also have seen one problem (Not already mention), In some Automation menu disks it seems to corrupt the first/menu screen. It looks like a loading screens multi coloured lines (ie Spectrum loading) you can still select the menu option but it look strange.

Currently addicted to Speedball 2, what a game

Best Emu - OutCast
Best Coder - Skeezix

Keep up the great work,
 
A lot of corners are cut for the emu to run so quickly, so it will never be as accurate as the desktop-side emus; still, gets closer and closer as time goes on :p

I can at least build gp2x again on my newer system, so hopefully get another update in awhile :)

jeff
 
Back
Top