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Key presses not working in games

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 1:51 am
by witchy
Hello folks,

I recently resurrected a twin 3.5" floppy drive stack and set it to work on various machines, the Oric being one of them with my Cumana interface. Using a similar setup to the last time I attempted this with 5.25" disks I've written images for the usual suspects (Defence Force, Xenon etc) and I'm stumped as to why the control keys don't work in every game I try. With Xenon I can still hear keypress beeps like it's still in DOS mode. Since most of the TOSEC images are Slave disks I'm booting SEDORIC3 then running games from drive B after a "B-" to set the default drive, maybe this isn't the way to do it.

Thinking it maybe an Oric/Atmos thing I'm currently using a 48K Oric-1 with the same results.

There must be a config issue I'm missing. I've not tried joysticks yet but I'd like to fix the key press thing first.

Cheers!

Witchy

Re: Key presses not working in games

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 5:51 pm
by witchy
Never mind, joysticks work and I'm reminded just how bloody hard Defence Force is. Interestingly the last time I had all these machines out I couldn't get Xenon working at all, with a new image write to a 3.5" floppy it works first time.

W

Re: Key presses not working in games

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 8:26 pm
by Chema
I have been thinking about your issue, and could not imagine why you are experiencing this at all. I guess the keyboard works in the OS or BASIC, and sound works too, and it only fails on some games. Does it happen if you load the game from a tape too?

At first I thought it could be some issue with the disk controller, but it is unlikely as it loads Sedoric and games properly load and run.

It is quite puzzling.

I have (always had) some doubts about the images in the TOSEC. For instance, I just downloaded it and took one dsk image Probe 3 (1985)(IJK Software#Peps)[Sedoric].dsk You have to boot from SEDORIC, then insert the dsk and launch the game, but I keyboard does not work on the emulator.

Also notice that some games cannot be directly stored in a disk image and make it work. Tapes usually are multipart and need some patching to work from disk, if even possible. I attach here a disk I have with some nice games you can try: manic miner, skooldaze, o-thrust, freecell and stormlord. Just so you can test if these work for you.

Re: Key presses not working in games

Posted: Tue Feb 13, 2018 11:03 pm
by Symoon
Ah, that's what I really hate with those compilations that download everything and don't say a word about their sources.

It simply sounds like the disk files you guys are using are from Dom's page with his PASE joystick adaptated games:
http://dominique.pessan.pagesperso-oran ... ystick.htm

Re: Key presses not working in games

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 2:02 pm
by Chema
That'll explain it all!

I also have my concerns with these compilations. Thanks Symoon!

Re: Key presses not working in games

Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2018 5:35 pm
by Dom
It simply sounds like the disk files you guys are using are from Dom's page with his PASE joystick adaptated games
Ouch ! Last update 20 years ago :D I had completely forgoten this page... and I am astonished it is still active !
But I can remember that, in 1997, I effectively adapted some games to PASE JS and, for some of them, forgot to keep the keyboard active :oops: