Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Discuss the project, or ask a general question
arkiruthis
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:19 pm

Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by arkiruthis »

Firstly, thank you for providing ADFFS, it's a fantastic tool.

I have an original copy of StarFighter 3000 that I prefer to use as it doesn't require the window manager update that the free version ( http://starfighter.acornarcade.com/ ) needs. Uniboot adds quite an extensive load time to my A3020 here.

I've been able to use the preset provided with ADFFS to image the disks (and the disc 1 shows the error at sector 80 that I assume is used for protection)

It looks like the JFDs were created succesfully, but I haven't as yet been able to load the game using ADFFS, as on running the game (from the ADFFS JFD file for Disk 1) it still polls my (physical) floppy drive, and failing that, restarts the machine.

As a side point, I should be expecting a Greaseweazle in the post tomorrow, perhaps my best bet would be to create HFEs and use my GOTEK to load the game?
JonAbbott
Posts: 2938
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:13 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by JonAbbott »

arkiruthis wrote: Wed Nov 03, 2021 7:38 pm on running the game (from the ADFFS JFD file for Disk 1) it still polls my (physical) floppy drive, and failing that, restarts the machine.
Use Boot Floppy on the ADFFS menu to run the game. If that doesn't work, please email me a copy of the JFD so I can examine its protection.

If you're HD installing the games, replace their !run with their Boot Script. If a game requires disc 1 to be inserted, copy it into the game folder and add *ADFMOUNT to the top of the script. Many of the scripts detail how to HD install games.

As an aside, I've done all the work for the officially released titles in the package releases. Unfortunately there's currently no package manager for your machine, but you can download the packages from a PC, copy them over and extract them with SparkFS.
arkiruthis
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:19 pm

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by arkiruthis »

JonAbbott wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 8:19 am Use Boot Floppy on the ADFFS menu to run the game. If that doesn't work, please email me a copy of the JFD so I can examine its protection (jon at jaspp dot org dot uk).
Thanks Jon. I did try that initially, but I still hear the hardware drive 'honk' for a second, and then the machine reboots RISCOS (bit of a merciless protection there FedNet :lol: ) I've also tried transferring and using the JFD under Arculator on Windows. Likewise the file contents are all there, but the protection restarts the emulator, even with Boot Floppy.

I'll email a copy of that (thank you for offering to look at the file!). However, in UniBoot RISC OS 3.11 I've been notified of the Icon/Terminator virus on the !Install script on the floppy, I'm not sure if this was due to a Schools drive the A3020 came with that I plugged in recently, or whether it's on the original floppy, but I need to deal with that with !VZap and do a fresh image before I send that to you just to be sure!!
JonAbbott wrote: Thu Nov 04, 2021 8:19 am If you're HD installing the games, replace their !run with their Boot Script. If a game requires disc 1 to be inserted, copy it into the game folder and add *ADFMOUNT to the top of the script. Many of the scripts detail how to HD install games.

As an aside, I've done all the work for the officially released titles in the package releases. Unfortunately there's currently no package manager for your machine, but you can download the packages from a PC, copy them over and extract them with SparkFS.
Thanks Jon, I believe that StarFighter 3000 exists in the ADFFS list for recording data, it is not available via packaging or boot scripts. Possibly mistaken with a similar sounding title?
JonAbbott
Posts: 2938
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:13 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by JonAbbott »

arkiruthis wrote: Fri Nov 05, 2021 12:48 pm However, in UniBoot RISC OS 3.11 I've been notified of the Icon/Terminator virus on the !Install script on the floppy, I'm not sure if this was due to a Schools drive the A3020 came with that I plugged in recently, or whether it's on the original floppy, but I need to deal with that with !VZap and do a fresh image before I send that to you just to be sure!!
Does the game run from the physical floppy? Has the protection been damaged? Send me the unaltered image, don't attempt to clean the virus just yet as it might make things worse.
arkiruthis wrote: Fri Nov 05, 2021 12:48 pm I believe that StarFighter 3000 exists in the ADFFS list for recording data, it is not available via packaging or boot scripts.
The project doesn't have permission to release SF3000 and it's not something I've looked into as it's still being actively developed and is available to download elsewhere. SF3000 TNG however is a version I'd like to seek approval for as it includes backported changes from the 3DO version, I definitely created a script for that version.

I could have sworn I had also created a Boot Script for the original, I'll check and confirm.
JonAbbott
Posts: 2938
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:13 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by JonAbbott »

JonAbbott wrote: Sat Nov 06, 2021 4:55 am I could have sworn I had also created a Boot Script for the original, I'll check and confirm.
Apologies, having checked it seems I've not created a Boot script for SF3000 so you'd need to run it directly from the icon. I have tested and confirmed my copy (v1.00) runs when launched from a floppy image.
JonAbbott
Posts: 2938
Joined: Thu Apr 11, 2013 12:13 pm
Location: Essex
Contact:

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by JonAbbott »

I've had a look at your image files, the good news in the Icon virus is only partially there. You can clean it by removing the last two lines in !HDInstall.!Boot - which won't affect the protection.

Disc 1 is failing on the first protection check and by the looks of it around 2K is missing from the floppy image. To confirm there's not an issue with the recording file bundled with ADFFS, I reimaged my copy and confirmed it did work. On the face of it, your version is identical to mine except for the protection sectors being wrong.

As it works when run from physical floppy, all I can suggest is to try creating your own recording file for disc 1 and image from that.
arkiruthis
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:19 pm

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by arkiruthis »

Thanks for your help Jon, I'll do a recording and see how it goes.
arkiruthis
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:19 pm

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by arkiruthis »

Hi Jon,

When I load my recording, set an output filename and press OK I get the following error:

"Arguments of function/procedure incorrect at line 285"

Can you shine any light on what I may be doing wrong here?
arkiruthis
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:19 pm

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by arkiruthis »

Actually, I used the Preset that was in the database, but used my own recording. Same issue as before. Think I'll have to draw a line under this one. :(

(Does look like my version of ADFFS is 2.73, so it's certainly up to date)

[EDIT - Just checked again, using the HD installed version with the original floppy in the drive, it loads fine. If I use the JFD in ADFFS (and Boot Floppy) it prompts me to put in the Floppy. I feel like maybe my Floppy drive is overriding ADDFS somehow?]
arkiruthis
Posts: 7
Joined: Sun Sep 12, 2021 7:19 pm

Re: Starfighter 3000 and ADFFS

Post by arkiruthis »

Well, I got it working!

So it turns out that the floppy drive in my A3020 might be defective, or perhaps not able to read the later sectors on the disk. I took the drive out of my Amiga 1200 and used it with the GreaseWeazle to image the original disks. I was able to convert Disc One into an HFE which the Gotek was able to load. I already had StarFighter 3000 installed to the drive, so when it started it seems to have recognised the HFE as being valid and proceeded to load the game. Protection passed! :)

This is good working solution for me now. I don't suppose it's possible to turn an SCP or an HFE into a ADFFS format? I suppose I could try using ADFFS now to image the Gotek image? :lol:

Image
Post Reply