X-Com resolution

[hal900x]

I am finally getting around to playing the original X-Com, but the 320x200 graphics are pretty rough on my huge plasma screen. Amazingly enough, there are no high-res or widescreen patches for this gem. I've tried ratcheting up the DOSBox resolution settings, but they don't improve anything.

I've got a few options at this point: suck it up, install UFO2000, get the Amiga AGA version, or even try the Playstation version. I don't know how faithful UFO2000 is to original, wouldn't want to miss out on the true experience. If it's essentially identical with better graphics, fine. I've read the Amiga AGA version has slightly higher resolution, so if the gameplay is the same there, then that's probably my best bet. Playstation...no idea.

Whatcha know?

 

[hal900x]

Guess I answered my own question. Got lucky and found a copy for CD32. And yes, it looks a fair bit better. Superior soundtrack too. Always did like the Amiga game music tracks. However, WinUAE is running a bit slow emulating the high-end chipset. Gonna tweak it a bit and see.

 

[Tails]

You can always set up scaler=hq2x in DosBox, to make game look much better. UFO2000 has only Multi-player support currently. Amiga version (AGA/CD32) are overall worse then PC versions in many thing except music. Heck, CD32 has strange base limit, you can build max three.

It's better to set-up and play PSX version, since it has more bugs corrected then any release, as far I remember even proximity grenades were fixed. The only issues was that game could hang on Superhuman with landed/shotted down Battleship.

Btw. If you are using ADF version of game, try out this one, it's for a Amiga prog called WHDLoad, makes running Aimga games less stressful.

 

[Burning Bridges]

I am interested in X-Com myself, and the resolution is the big problem.

Tails, I tried the link you provided, but the WHDLoad program is for the Amiga? Can you recommend me an Amiga emulator, and one for the PSX, to run the X.Com versions you were talking about?

 

[Monolith]

It's better to set-up and play PSX version, since it has more bugs corrected then any release, as far I remember even proximity grenades were fixed. The only issues was that game could hang on Superhuman with landed/shotted down Battleship.
.

What's wrong with the proximity grenades in the PC version? I use them all the time, never noticed anything out of the ordinary.

 

[Tails]

Tails, I tried the link you provided, but the WHDLoad program is for the Amiga? Can you recommend me an Amiga emulator, and one for the PSX, to run the X.Com versions you were talking about?

Best emulator is WinUAE. It seems the site is down so you will need to find it somewhere else current version is 1.5.1 or 1.6.1. On both game works perfect.
Btw. to use WHDLoad you will need Amiga OS Workbench 3.0 or 3.1 installed, also get Amiga Kickstart v3.1. WHDload will need it and few other files to run... it's explained in readme with links as far I remember, tell if you have any problem.

About PSX Emulator I don't know, most people say that ePSXe is the best choice. Here are plugins. You will probably need additional plugin for mouse.... playing with keyboard is pain in the arse.

 

[Tails]

What's wrong with the proximity grenades in the PC version? I use them all the time, never noticed anything out of the ordinary.

There are two major issues:
When you save game and load during tactical mission, Proximity Grenades become dud and can't be reactivated. Also the Victims of Proximity Grenade get experience, not soldier that activate and throw it. Funny that TFTD devs didn't fix that bug.

 

[Monolith]

Luckily I play on simulated Ironman-Mode, but the latter part sucks, as "proximity grenade" sums up my tactics pretty well. PSX you say?

 

[Tails]

Luckily I play on simulated Ironman-Mode, but the latter part sucks, as "proximity grenade" sums up my tactics pretty well. PSX you say?

Hm in most of attempts I don't even use proximities, because of that experience bug and makes game a bit more challenging.

I just found out that in PSX version Cydonia underground map isn't randomized, fuck.

 

[Burning Bridges]

Btw. If you are using ADF version of game, try out this one, it's for a Amiga prog called WHDLoad, makes running Aimga games less stressful.

I tried but these are sure not ADF versions. I managed to install WinUAE and ROMs, I can run ADFs w/o problems. But I have no idea what to do with the folders in those zip files!

Also, I have no idea how to flip disks ..

 

[BlitzKitchen]

Is there any way to decrease the scroll sensitivity of the world map when you click the arrows to move it? And what about slowing down the time compression?

 

[Emotional Vampire]

plasma screen

 

[Gragt]

About PSX Emulator I don't know, most people say that ePSXe is the best choice. Here are plugins. You will probably need additional plugin for mouse.... playing with keyboard is pain in the arse.

I prefer pSX but some games might have problems. Seems X-Com runs ok on the latest version but there are reports that the pointer might disapear on some menus.

 

[hal900x]

You can always set up scaler=hq2x in DosBox, to make game look much better. UFO2000 has only Multi-player support currently. Amiga version (AGA/CD32) are overall worse then PC versions in many thing except music. Heck, CD32 has strange base limit, you can build max three.

It's better to set-up and play PSX version, since it has more bugs corrected then any release, as far I remember even proximity grenades were fixed. The only issues was that game could hang on Superhuman with landed/shotted down Battleship.

Btw. If you are using ADF version of game, try out this one, it's for a Amiga prog called WHDLoad, makes running Aimga games less stressful.

I wasn't real impressed with the results of the DOSBox scaler for this particular game. Other games, sometimes. But doubling or tripling pixels isn't real impressive in X-Com, for some reason. The AGA-specific graphics look a damn site better than the PC version, so I'd be curious to know exactly what the shortcomings of that version are. I dunno if the base limit will be a big deal for me or not, since I'm a newb to the game. Only problem I currently have with the CD32 version is mouse and scroll lag, and I'm thinking that is an emulation speed issue that can be fixed by tweaking some WinUAE options, if their site ever comes back.

Anyone know if there are different versions for A1200 and CD32? I'm guessing it's the same game, but not really up on my Amiga knowledge. I ask because there are more options to tweak under 1200 emulation settings.

I'll try the PSX version, but if I recall correctly most Playstaton 1 games run around 320x240. Not a huge improvement, although ePSXe does have some nice filters.

My Amiga version is a CD image, so I just mount that and create a virtual HDD from the CD drive on the host computer. However, booting the emulator seems very unstable with the default options. Half the time I get a blank screen.

And as far as all the bugs for the PC version, aren't there numerous mods and utilities such as Xcomutil that fix most or all of them?

 

[Tails]

GlobalExplorer I try tomorrow write how-to about that WHDLoad.

I prefer pSX but some games might have problems. Seems X-Com runs ok on the latest version but there are reports that the pointer might disapear on some menus.

Hm I tried out pSX and it didn't have mouse plugin, atleast Linux version. I know that this Emulator has problem with European version of game, it hangs after picking language.

 

[Tails]

(..)The AGA-specific graphics look a damn site better than the PC version, so I'd be curious to know exactly what the shortcomings of that version are.

As far I recall: Explosions are not animated, same with smoke and all objects (like elerium tank, some Alien base plants etc.). No nights missions, that kills most of game atmosphere and obviously makes flares useless. Also there is less sounds, no battlescape music (dunno about CD32, can't remember), only ECS had it. Probably there is also less sounds in game... when in DOS version you have few geoscape tracks, in Amiga releases they are separated (ECS has different track from AGA).
Good sides of Amiga versions are better quality sound and music, bug fixes and minor tweaks but still, I wouldn't call AGA version a proper release, it reminds more beta.... and ECS is just awful.

Anyone know if there are different versions for A1200 and CD32? I'm guessing it's the same game, but not really up on my Amiga knowledge. I ask because there are more options to tweak under 1200 emulation settings.

There are three: ECS (the most crappy) AGA and CD32 which is the same as AGA, just have few more pros and cons.

And as far as all the bugs for the PC version, aren't there numerous mods and utilities such as Xcomutil that fix most or all of them?

There are fanmade map/translation fixes but nothing else. XComutil indeed fix bugs but not most, only few. Fixing some bugs would require source codes that were long time ago lost.

 

[hal900x]

Sounds like you know what you're talking about. Maybe I'll try the PSX next.

 

[Overweight Manatee]

http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=User:Seb76

Here's another patch. It fixes a lot of things that xcomutil doesn't, including the bugged proximity grenades and the scroll speed being too fast. Also contains a bunch of optional additions.

 

[BlitzKitchen]

http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=User:Seb76

Here's another patch. It fixes a lot of things that xcomutil doesn't, including the bugged proximity grenades and the scroll speed being too fast. Also contains a bunch of optional additions.

thank s

 

[ever]

Guys, quit not knowing how to use dosbox

openglnb mode scales up with no bilinear filtering meaning the 320x200 resolution will look no different on an lcd than it does on a crt. Make sure you set your resolution to 0x0.

 

[hal900x]

Guys, quit not knowing how to use dosbox

openglnb mode scales up with no bilinear filtering meaning the 320x200 resolution will look no different on an lcd than it does on a crt. Make sure you set your resolution to 0x0.

I ended up doing exactly this through trial and error. Where the fuck is there a comprehensive description of DOSBox configs? The official site is shit, the wiki is shit, the various guides and tutorials around the web are shit shit shit. l2doc.

 

[Gragt]

http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=User:Seb76

Here's another patch. It fixes a lot of things that xcomutil doesn't, including the bugged proximity grenades and the scroll speed being too fast. Also contains a bunch of optional additions.

That stuff is pretty cool! I only wish there was some kind of frame rate limiter with the D3D renderer. The documentation alludes that you can do it with video drivers but other than turning v-sync on — which limits the fps but it is still too high — I do not know how.

 

[Tails]

http://www.ufopaedia.org/index.php?title=User:Seb76

Here's another patch. It fixes a lot of things that xcomutil doesn't, including the bugged proximity grenades and the scroll speed being too fast. Also contains a bunch of optional additions.

Yeah its nice patch too but works only with crappy CE version.

 

[Gragt]

Since you seem to know a lot about this: what are the drawbacks of the CE? From the little I tried, with the loader, the most annoying problem is the speed, but what else is wrong?

 

[hal900x]

In DOSBox, does ddraw=direct3d renderer? There was an experimental addon prior to .73 that added direct3d, and then the .conf file would list "direct3d". Now there is a ddraw option, that lists as "ddraw" in the .conf. I'm thinking they are one and the same, since the Dosbox team merged in that addon author's work extensively.

Regardless, the openglnb worked well for me. Scroll speed still a bit too quick. As a temporary fix, using the HQ3x scaler slows it down enough as a side effect, but that scaler causes tearing during scrolling also. Maybe if I enable vsync that will cure the tearing.