Short: Arc. Perf. Space Invaders - OS4 compatible Author: kimflarsen@hotmail.com Uploader: kimflarsen hotmail com Type: game/shoot Version: 1.5 Architecture: m68k-amigaos >= 1.2 S P A C E I N V A D E R S Version 1.5 CONTENTS: 1. Introduction 2. How to run the game 3. How to run the game optimally 4. Additional information for sound card users 5. How to play the game 6. Version history 7. DISCLAIMER 1. Introduction This is a 99% arcade perfect version of Space Invaders programmed in the summer and autumn of 2004 by Kim Fastrup Larsen for the original Commodore Amiga systems. The game now supports AHI sound. In fact, it should now be completely OS4 compatible. I do not own an OS4 system myself, though, and so cannot test it. The game has been tested on an Amiga 4000/030. I have also tested it in WinUAE in various configurations. Unfortunately, I did have problems with using monitor drivers (as described below) in WinUAE. I think this is due to emulation issues, but I cannot be sure. For these reasons, I would greatly appreciate any kind of feedback (positive or negative) from anyone who tries out this game on a real Amiga system (classic or modern). Please state exactly what kind of system on which you ran the game. I can be reached on the following e-mail address: kimflarsen@hotmail.com Features: + Programmed in pure C using Intuition screens and windows and absolutely no direct hardware access (not even user copper lists)! + Gameplay is extremely close to the original arcade game-- use classic tricks such as "shot counting" and "death row!" + The graphics are a pixel perfect copy of the original game, except that this version runs in 7 glorious colors (and I changed the text slightly)! The game can be freely copied by anybody for anybody. This game wants to be played! 2. How to run the game For any european (PAL) Amiga, whatever the Kickstart or model, it should be a simple matter of starting the game from Workbench, Shell or startup-sequence. The game does not need any disk resident libraries, devices or fonts. For american (NTSC) Amigas, since the game needs a display of 240 lines and NTSC only provides 200 lines, special steps must be taken. First and foremost, NTSC Amigas must have Kickstart 2 or better to run the game. Kickstart 2 users must start the game from Workbench. Your Workbench must have the PAL monitor drivers installed. Kickstart 3 users can simply choose PAL from the boot menu. If this is done, there is no need to install monitor drivers. Alternatively, Kickstart 3 users can run the game from Workbench, having installed either of the PAL, DblPAL or Multiscan monitor drivers. Of course, you should only install monitor drivers that your monitor actually supports! Installation of monitor drivers works differently depending on your exact Workbench version. Refer to your Amiga's instruction manuals for details. On most systems it's a matter of dragging a file from the "Storage/Monitors" drawer to the "Devs/Monitors" drawer and then rebooting. There may also be particular programs, boot blocks or even hardware tricks available to convince your NTSC Amiga that it is really PAL. Use them at your own discretion and risk! 3. How to run the game optimally The gameplay is updated 60 times per second just as in the original arcade game. A PAL display is only updated 50 times per second. So when the game is run on a PAL display, the various animated graphics appears to "stutter" slightly instead of moving smoothly like it should. However, Amigas equipped with the AGA chipset are able to produce a VGA-like 240 line display that is updated 60 times per second. This requires the Multiscan monitor driver to be installed. In other words: For the best results, the game should be run on an AGA Amiga. It should be started from the Workbench, and the Workbench should have the Multiscan monitor driver installed. 4. Additional information for sound card users The game will now default to using AHI for sound output on any system using OS4 or newer. If for some reason you wish to use audio.device for sound instead, you must set the tooltype SOUND=Paula if you are running the game from the Workbench, or use the argument "Paula" if running the game from a Shell, e.g.: Invaders Paula On any system using an older version of the operating system, the game will default to using audio.device for sound. If for some reason you wish to use AHI instead, you must set the tooltype SOUND=AHI if you are running the game from the Workbench, or use the argument "AHI" if running the game from a Shell, e.g.: Invaders AHI If you don't get any sound when playing the game, try setting the tooltype SOUND=AHI/using the "AHI" argument. 5. How to play the game The following keys are used in the game: F1: Start a 1 player game F2: Start a 2 player game Left Arrow: Move the laser cannon left Right Arrow: Move the laser cannon right Left Alt: Fire the laser cannon Esc: Quit the game A joystick can be used to move and fire the laser cannon. 6. Version history Nov. 5th, 2004: V1.0 - First working version - should run on any PAL/DblPAL/Multiscan-compatible classic Amiga system. Dec. 5th, 2004: V1.01 - No longer requires gameport.device (though it is still used if there) as a first step towards OS4 compatibility. Jan. 16th, 2005: V1.02 - Changed screen routines slightly to centre display on Kickstart 1.3. Also did tiny updates to a couple of random choice routines. Jan. 25rd, 2005: V1.03 - First attempt at AHI support for full compatability with OS4. Let's hope it works. Feb. 1st, 2005: V1.04 - AHI code was never invoked, as the game would always attempt to open audio.device first, which doesn't fail in itself on OS4. This has been fixed, so hopefully there will now be sound in OS4. Tooltype support added. Apr. 11th, 2005: V1.5 - Command line argument support added. Minor sound frequency corrections. 7. DISCLAIMER BECAUSE THE PROGRAM IS LICENSED FREE OF CHARGE, THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY MODIFY AND/OR REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.