dragon's lair, etc.

[seaner]

Is anyone aware of a way to play laserdisc games under dos?  I have Daphne, but it is a linux/windows solution from what I can gather.. kinda sucks to have to boot into windows to play

[Lilwolf]

At this point... you don't have any options.

I don't know if the linux version requires XWindows though...

But get XP, and you can change it around to the point where it boots SUPER fast (faster then any other windows OS so far).  Then change the bootup screens..

[Chris]

Unfortunately, Daphne uses the SDL library... if it used Allegro instead, it would be simple to port to DOS.  I started to try to convert Daphne from SDL to Allegro at one time, but I just wasn't equal to the task....

--Chris

[seaner]

Unfortunately, Daphne uses the SDL library... if it used Allegro instead, it would be simple to port to DOS.  I started to try to convert Daphne from SDL to Allegro at one time, but I just wasn't equal to the task....

--Chris

Hmm.. maybe if I have some free time in the next while I'll look into porting it over.  Wonder if porting SDL would be a more worthwhile cause though?

[shmokes]

You don't want to run DOS anyway.  Hasn't Bill taught you anything?

[Chris]

Are you kidding?  I've been miserable since I "upgraded" my cabinet from DOS to Windows!  If it weren't for my family loving the Act-Labs gun, I'd take it back to DOS in a heartbeat.

Under Windows, the machine takes longer to load, crashes occassionally, and will sometimes in the middle of a game pop up the mouse cursor as an hourglass and the game stutters for several seconds while Windows decides to do something else.

The developers of DAPHNE could have supported DOS just by using Allegro instead of SDL.  They chose not to.

[NickS]

The developers of DAPHNE could have supported DOS just by using Allegro instead of SDL.  They chose not to.

I would love it too if daphne could run in dos. I plan on building a dedicated dragons lair with all the reroduction items that have recently been made for. I would much prefer it to run on dos so it could just be switched on and off with out all the booting up and closing down problems you have with windows.

I imagine it would be simple for daphne to work in dos if you were go with a laser disk player and laser disk. I understand the main problem occurs if you wish to use mpegs. I have seen this matter discussed often on the daphne site but it does not seem as though anyone is doing the ground work to make it work. It does not seem to interest the daphne developers but they always to seem happy to add other peoples work in the new releases.

[Chris]

I imagine it would be simple for daphne to work in dos if you were go with a laser disk player and laser disk. I understand the main problem occurs if you wish to use mpegs. I have seen this matter discussed often on the daphne site but it does not seem as though anyone is doing the ground work to make it work. It does not seem to interest the daphne developers but they always to seem happy to add other peoples work in the new releases.

Well, this is true if you're just talking about DL and Space Ace, since they don't have any video overlays.

It's one thing to add support for a feature; it's another to completely rip out their interface library and replace it with a new one!  I doubt they would incorporate that...

--Chris

[seaner]

You don't want to run DOS anyway.  Hasn't Bill taught you anything?

oh no.. here we go
For the record, I've been a linux zealot since 1995.
My reasons for picking DOS were:
1. bootup speed
2. power interruption at any time is safe
3. I absolutely hate configuring svgalib! - that, and my speed comparisons on my old hardware put the dos port ahead of linux (probably due to the absence of any multitasking of any kind)

Cheers,
Sean

[shmokes]

I'm kidding to a degree.  I think that Microsoft is mainly evil.  Windows XP is obviously lightyears ahead of DOS, but if DOS suits your needs better than Windows XP I would never honestly advocate XP simply because all-things-considered it's the better OS.

[StephenH]

You may want to consider Linux, if you like text based OSes.  It is more powerful, and a variety of emus work with it.

[Howard_Casto]

Dos is dead, deal with it.


I'm not saying don't use dos, I'm just saying don't complain when a graphically complex emulator isn't ported to dos.  You know what's holding mame back in terms of speed?  The multi-platform ports.

I'm not saying that I don't approve of mame having a dos or linux (bah!!!!)  port, I'm just saying it severely limits what you can do.  

So if you want a slow daphne with questionable blitting of the overlays then a dos port would be great!!!!    Remember, it takes a 600 mhz machine on any os to play mpeg data of that size back in a timing critical sense. If your pcs specs are that high then you shouldn't be running dos.  

[NickS]

Dos is dead, deal with it.

I agree with you in many terms but I still think dos is preferable to use in cabinets. This is because of the ability to turn the cabinet and computer on and off by the power switch without any damage. And also the relatively quick boot up times.

[Chris]

Remember, it takes a 600 mhz machine on any os to play mpeg data of that size back in a timing critical sense. If your pcs specs are that high then you shouldn't be running dos.  

Unless timing is critical; then you shouldn't be running any timing-critical application in a multitasking OS.  

Emulation cabinets are dedicated embedded systems, and Windows is rarely used on dedicated embedded systems.  A multitasking graphical OS is great on a general purpose PC, but what point is it on a dedicated embedded system?

--Chris

[_Iz-]

What version of windows did you put on your upgraded machine Chris? I run XP on mine and couldn't be happier. Of course I had to turn off almost all the "features" because they piss me off. System restore is history as well as all the other automated crap. I wish "Accessability" could be removed like in previous versions. Once every blue moon "sticky-keys" or it's ilk will decide to turn on and crash the party even though I have them turned off. I don't have any instability issues or crashing however.

I think there are more systems running embedded windows than you realize. The guy who made 98lite is busy customizing and stripping down windows for embedded systems. I believe MS also has a modular version of XP for embedded systems.

[Howard_Casto]

For the record arcade machines run emulators and therefore are the opposite of an embedded system as soon as you add a second emulator.  Why?  Because they are doing several tasks, not just one.

Dos is slow, handles large harddrives, large amounts of ram and large procesors badly, has memory leaks and is an overall annoyance unless you have a REALLY slow pc that can't handle the footprint that windows xp needs.  

Dos is actually far less stable than windows, it just doesn't crash in lue of huge memory leaks, which are worse imho as you don't know anything is wrong.  I have to agree with the last poster, if you take xp and strip it down, or even better take xp and run it with the custom gui option (type run gpedit.fsc and edit the custom gui option) you can't really do any better.  

I knew some people would get mad about that comment, but I'm just trying to wake a few people up.  This isn't 1994, you need to stop relying on dos quite so much.  If windows is performing "worse" then it's your fault in the setup or inferior hardware, not windows.  

People who hate windows just to be anti m$ need their head examined, as if it weren't for the superior corporate might of windows the whole personal computer fad would have never made it into mainstream.   Of course no one will agree on me with that point either.  It's real easy to resent a sucessful business and root for the underdogs, just remember that's the only reason you hate them.  

Anyway, if you find this message offensive then just disregard ot or get mad and complain or whatever, I'm done preaching to the flock today.  

[Chris]

Well, all I know is my cabinet ran smoother and better on DOS.  The worst thing about Windows is that every now and then, in the middle of a game, Windows will decide to do something and the mouse pointer will appear with an hourglass and the game will stutter and spurt for a few seconds. Hardly a realistic arcade machine.  Lots of times the mouse arrow will appear without screwin up the game, but it does serve to remind you "Oh, this is Windows."  I know you keep telling me about all the dire things that will happen if I insist on using DOS, but if DOS was leaking memory or running inefficiently, it wasn't interfering with my games, and that's all that counts.

[raremind]

Hey, that brings up a good point. Does any Windows Front-end allow use on an Arcade Monitor? I have used DOS with ArcadeOS forever specifically for that reason. I didn't think any windows App allowed use to an Arcade Monitor. I would love to have More Functionality with a windows environment (MP3 Jukebox, Dragons Lair Arcade Version). Does anyone know if there is one?

[_Iz-]

If you can get windows to display on an arcade monitor then you can use any windows front end that you desire. The trick it (or used to be) getting windows to display on an arcade monitor. This problem has been solved for the mainstream with Andy's Arcade VGA video card.