Re: [MiNT] XaAES and problem with (older) GEM games

[Eero Tamminen <oak@helsinkinet.fi>]

Hi,

On perjantai 07 syyskuu 2012, Eero Tamminen wrote:
> Regressions compared to 1-17-0 version:
> 
> * Toswin2 from today's trunk snapshot bus errors startup,
>   but Toswin2 from the FreeMiNT 1.17.0 release starts fine
>   with the Trunk snapshot.
> 
> 
> As to problems that still remaing with the GEM games (several
> of these are pretty old and might not work except on monochrome
> mode):

I had earlier tested with lower bit depth, now I tested with
the Aranym AFROS default 32-bits mode.

In general, there are some games which in 32-bit mode otherwise
would seem to work, but their graphics are all-black in 32-bits.
I wonder whether this could be a bug in the 32-bit fVDI driver,
or is it just an issue in the games.


> * Bombs
>   - Clicks to game window work, but badly, you may need to click many
> times (may come also from underlying EmuTOS as that has same problem
> too) - closed menus aren't removed from screen
> 
> * Daleks, Hotshot Checkers
>   - After menu is drawn, game area content is immediately drawn on
>     top of the menu

For some reason this doesn't happen always.  Sometimes menu is drawn
correctly on top of the play area.

In Daleks, the menus don't open under the headings, but offset to
right. In 32-bits, graphics are white on white, i.e. it's unplayable.


>   - In Daleks, Quit menu item doesn't work
> 
> * DWBH, Invers
>   - closing window menus or activating items in them requires several
> clicks
> 
> * Flip Side (othello)
>   - "Thinking" text goes into completely wrong position vertically
>     (doesn't happen with plain EmuTOS)

Text position seems to depend on the bit depth.


> * Gobang
>   - There's no mouse cursor

The menu is also missing.


> * Invaders (main dialog)
>   - Button positions are completely wrong vertically
>   - Colors aren't inversed like they should
>   - Images are missing from the dialog
> 
> * Megaroids
>   - complains about wrong RSC file size at startup
>   - with the game, key can get "stuck" until one presses it again
>   - bus error at exit
> 
> * Mind sweeper
>   - text positioning is off a bit and sometimes numbers
>     aren't drawn at all

This seems to be bit depth dependent.  It works fine in 32-bits.


> * Patience
>   - Card outline isn't shown when dragging (mouse shape changes though)
>   - Buttons on the quit dialog don't work with mouse, just with keyboard
> 
> Sliders
>   - Process is running, but neither the expected dialog or
>     the game window comes on screen
> 
> * Snake
>   - key presses are occasionally missed
>   - everything isn't always drawn on game window and window
>     bar is sometimes drawn badly

Nothing gets drawn to game window in 32-bits.


> * ST-concentration
>   - only first piece of the revealed pair is shown
>   - after changing number of players, the size of the game playarea
>     dialog starts to grow on each click (= when it's redrawn)
>   (for this I have also sources)
>
> * Tartan (chess)
>   - Game itself and its on-screen controls work, but its menu doesn't
> 
> * Windowball
>   - XaAES error dialog about OBTREE for WINDOW validation failing
> 
> * Wormania
>   - startup text isn't cleared from the game window when game starts
>   - window sometimes changes size (it shouldn't)
> 
> 
> As discussed, games without either windows or dialogs cannot be
> interacted with mouse as mouse clicks go to desktop (e.g. in original
> Ballerburg or in Risky).
> 
> 
> 	- Eero
> 
> PS. Maybe somebody could add here a readme that explains the differences
> between the three different MiNT snapshots (freemint, helmut & trunk):
> 	http://www.freemint.org/builds/freemint
> ?