[El-Hazard for the PC] Outdated topic

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Any problems, just post a new topic

El-Hazard for the PC: Final release due by mid-next week... hopefully.
The wonderful little trinket I've personally sweated over, using personal knowledge based reverse engineering tactics on the Saturn original CD-ROM.  One thing I've learned -- I may be a programmer only by hobby with absolutely no professional training or classes, but apparently the techniques for implementation that I've made up over the years aren't all that different from the "professional" programmers.  

--------------- Computer Platform Crap ---------------

Currently for Windoze PC's only... might run on Linux with Wine (I'm gonna hafta try that sucker out), though I don't think anyone here runs Linux.  (Should be portable anyway though.)

A MacOS version is a quandary simply because the only Macs I own are of the ancient 68K breed... the best I have I think is a 68030 @ 33MHz.  Of course, concidering the hardware this game has been forced onto over its lifetime (I'll be the third time its been ported, albeit its first non-licensed port), it's theoretically possible to make it run on such a junkard.  Otherwise Mac'ies have to wait until I'm working again, and only if I can overcome my current college debt.  Or they release a PPC emulator... which hasn't happened yet.

------------------------------------------------------------

Anyway, who here thinks they'll touch it at least with a 10 foot pole?  Any questions?  

(Most should be answerable by looking at past updates.  And I fixed the spacing of the text, so when you see that in old pictures, it no longer applies, it looks more like the one I posted in the news.)

At least I registered a semi-professional server for the sake of bandwidth (300MB space / 6GB-month), because I guarentee it won't be less than ~75MB ZIP'ed.

The only thing I don't believe I mentioned in the updates is that it should be completely user customizable; essentially, you can use the shell to create custom El-Hazard stories if you felt like it.

[Saucer]

Good job Rob! I'll try to give it a shot on one of the PCs here at my work.

A PPC emulator would be great. There have been a few scattered Mac emulators over the years. But none recently. And, since Apple won't release their source code it makes it rather difficult.

But there's always Virtual PC! Too bad it's so expensive. O_O;

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Yeah, Mac emulators have been limited to the 68K breed, because that's apparently too easy to emulate on Windows systems.  But PPC is actually technically too radically different to emulate properly on Intels at any decent speed, so I've read.  Doesn't stop people from trying though... but I have a feeling I'll have bought one before they can even come close to emulating it properly.  Such is the reason I now own a Saturn.    (Which, naturally, was required for this project.)

You wouldn't happen to know if your Mac will run 68K software?  I've read it's possible at least through MacOS 9, it just requires (here's the word again) emulation (FYI that the system knows how to do).

[Saucer]

You wouldn't happen to know if your Mac will run 68K software?  I've read it's possible at least through MacOS 9, it just requires (here's the word again) emulation (FYI that the system knows how to do).

In theory, it should work. Probably just have to boot up in OS 9. I can work out the emulation if I need it.

[d.t.]

Really really sorry to bother you again, but I'm having a little trouble with the Demo version of the game.  When the Configuration Window comes up no matter what settings I put in "Video Settings" when I run the test I get a "Video Mode Error!" box that reads ""Can not set video mode".  I'm sure the problem is entirely mine and not the game's, but I haven't been able to find any advice for this error on the net (except possibly in German, which I can't read), and I was wondering if anyone 'round here was smarter than me.  Sorry for being such a nuisance!

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Heh, you won't find any help on it other than mine since it's my program that's failing.  

Hmm, make sure you try all settings, with and without hardware acceleration.  I know my computer will support either resolution (320x240 or 640x480) in 16bpp and 32bpp, but NOT 24bpp.  But I have a computer downstairs that will only do 320x240 @ 24bpp.

Also, make sure you aren't running any programs that do anything with the video display.  If I'm running PowerDVD, for example, I'm unable to switch video modes.

On that note, I'll make sure the final one supports a windowed mode, which hopefully is generally failsafe...

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Here, window'ed mode hopefully will guarentee it if nothing else:

http://www.el-hazardonline.net/El-Hazard/temp/rob/fullscreen.jpg

[rowan_a._seven]

Anyway, who here thinks they'll touch it at least with a 10 foot pole?  

*Raises hand*

Hopefully and eventually, at any rate.  I'm definitely going to wait till at least the midi is converted before attempting to download it, and even then I might have to wait a while longer due to size and uncertainty about whether my computer can run it.  By the way, what Sega Saturn emulator would you suggest using for the game?

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

It's not for emulators, Sega Saturn emulation has not been pulled off to any good degree.

I'm definitely going to wait till at least the midi is converted before attempting to download it

And I'll wait until the MIDI is finished before I put it up.  That's the only delay holding us back at the moment, FYI.

The game itself is actually a fully functional executable on its own.  I wrote the code behind it, there's no actual reliance on any particular hardware.

You do not need the Saturn disc or a Saturn emulator, although you CAN use the El-Hazard Saturn CD-ROM for the graphics, which would make up most of the download.  (There will be a CD-ROM Only download for that purpose).

As for system specs go, I ran it on the most lacking machine I have, a Pentium-166 w/ Windows 95.  Note its currently for Windows PCs only... I'll do a Mac version when I either get at least a PowerPC Mac (not any time soon), or I can figure out how to make this work on the ancient 68K breed which I do own because my father's work threw 'em out.  (Theoretically possible to get it to run, but it will require programming research and possibly an emulator on newer Macs.)

Here's the page section that WILL be put up for it.   (Note there's no download yet)

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

MAC POSSIBILITY UPDATE --

Okay, so I lugged my Quadra 950 out of the garage along with the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and network hookup, and took it all upstairs to my room and set it up in the corner.  I believe from what I've read the Quadra 950 was actually THE best in 68K's... still 68K, but the last one before they went PPC I think.  The 40MB RAM and a 1GB HDD it has should be sufficient if this is possible at all.

I went on a wild search for any [free] programming resources available to me.  I finally found MPW (Mac Programmers Workshop), THE official Apple compiler for those developing for MacOS 9 and below.  It produces both 68K and PPC binaries, even if only compiling on the 68K.  (It produces either/or, or a "Fat Binary", which supposedly makes it capable of executing on both 68K's as well as PPC-modern machines!)

Then I also located a graphics/sound library called "SpriteWorld", which hopefully will assist on that end of it.

With any luck, I might actually pull it off...

I just don't know yet, because the building of the graphics lib on that junker took the better part of the early hours of the morning; I had to go to sleep before it was done, right when the clock hit 5AM... XP

[Saucer]

MAC POSSIBILITY UPDATE --

Okay, so I lugged my Quadra 950 out of the garage along with the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and network hookup, and took it all upstairs to my room and set it up in the corner.  I believe from what I've read the Quadra 950 was actually THE best in 68K's... still 68K, but the last one before they went PPC I think.  The 40MB RAM and a 1GB HDD it has should be sufficient if this is possible at all.

I went on a wild search for any [free] programming resources available to me.  I finally found MPW (Mac Programmers Workshop), THE official Apple compiler for those developing for MacOS 9 and below.  It produces both 68K and PPC binaries, even if only compiling on the 68K.  (It produces either/or, or a "Fat Binary", which supposedly makes it capable of executing on both 68K's as well as PPC-modern machines!)

Then I also located a graphics/sound library called "SpriteWorld", which hopefully will assist on that end of it.

With any luck, I might actually pull it off...

I just don't know yet, because the building of the graphics lib on that junker took the better part of the early hours of the morning; I had to go to sleep before it was done, right when the clock hit 5AM... XP

You the man! Gotta give you props for trying to pull it off on a 68K machine! Were any of those support forums I sent you helpful? I haven't really tried any of them myself. Just sort of bookmarked them and forgot about them. I think here are some Mac programmer forums/sites out there that I could track down. Apple also has a programmer listserv/forum by it's a rather pricey paid subscription.

[MrWhat]

Anyway, who here thinks they'll touch it at least with a 10 foot pole?  Any questions?

I'd like to, but first I have have to:

• help my mother take care of my father's estate (including two farms full of junk);
  
• get my own 2002 taxes done;
  
• finish my "Hana Ni Arashi" fan fiction, which is shaping up to be a 85000+ word novel-length serial;
  
• get a start on my third El-Hazard serial;
  
• finally get the scanner fired up, and try my hand at some EH fan art;
  
• learn a little more Japanese, and take another swing at lyric and manga translations.  I've got a really really really rough translation of Jinnai's song now, but I haven't posted it because I know it has mistakes;
  
• and, start watching all my El-Hazard DVDs once every two months, instead of only two or three times a year.  Life is too short not to watch them more often.
  

I think I can fit you in sometime around 2008    Not to poke fun at your work at all, but, yipe, I'm trying to do too much as it is.  I really would like to try it, sometime.

The only thing I don't believe I mentioned in the updates is that it should be completely user customizable; essentially, you can use the shell to create custom El-Hazard stories if you felt like it.

Actually, this interests me more than the original game.

I've thought of this link before, but I don't think I've posted it yet:
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/~ah3q/project/guest/index.html
This is a web-based script engine, so it's apples and oranges.  There may be better examples of things like this, too.  Still, it'd be fun to have something like this with El-Hazard characters.

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Actually, this interests me more than the original game.

Why I planned 3 different release versions:

1) Full (all Saturn graphics and original game imitation) [currently ~65MB of graphics/sound to download, not counting other stuff]

2) CD-ROM Only (everything but the graphics, which you must provide by ownership of the original Saturn disc) [currently ~17MB of graphics/sound to download, not counting other stuff]

3) Skeleton (absolutely nothing but the minimum core for those just interested in utilizing it) [Haven't made it yet, but should be incredibly small when all it has is the very base graphics]

"Other stuff" includes the main executable, script files, sprite animation files, and anything else I left out...

And it's only 65MB after I whipped up a proprietary graphics format that crunches them in the most packed lossless format I can pull off.

Btw, we're down to only 7 MIDIs short of release time.  

[Saucer]

Hey Rob, I was wondering if you could substitute TV Iffy in the game for OVA Iffy?   J/K!

Seriously though, I hear that although it's TV Iffy, she doesn't act as dopey?

[Captain Southbird (EHOL Creator)]

Nope... actually, she plays a little character with a sad history.  Basically a flawed computer technology design who's final fate was to be "formatted and started over".  She talks in third person, "crashes" easy, but wants more than anything for a proper "administrator" to "debug" her.  


I won't be replacing Ifurita for OAV Ifurita for any official release, but this is what the customization factor will be all about.