Graphics card games aren't working

[MarkAshley]

I've got my Voodoo 3 set up on my Mediator-equipped A1200, and it works great in Workbench with Picasso 96.

I installed the graphics card version of Bubble Heroes from CD and tried to run it. I got an error that "No RTG screen has been selected". I also tried Genetic Species which started initially in AGA mode, but reported that I don't have a graphics card installed when I tried to select a higher resolution.

Both of these games came with RTGMaster as optional components. I haven't installed it as I'm not 100% sure what it does, whether it's part of Picasso 96, or whether it's required since Picasso 96 is already working.

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Mark

[m1screant]

Hi there,

You need to install RTG master. Also, Bubble heroes needs a certain GFX mode to be setup, cant remember what it is but it says in the instructions.

Hope thats helpful.

** Whoa, hold on, it needs 320*240*8bit ***

[MarkAshley]

Hi there,

Thanks for that. I have just installed RTGMaster as you suggested.

When I run Genetic Species, it now asks me for a screenmode. If I select any 24bit screenmode, I get this error:

"Device External: Is not assigned or a file is missing"

If I select 640x480x8, then the game loads and displays on my graphics card. With the game engine set to the lowest resolution the game plays fine. But if I set the resolution to 640x480, it is extremely slow. I thought the Voodoo would make the game run nicely  :-(

Also, Bubble Heroes is still gives that same error that no RTG screenmode was selected, though it never asks me for one!

[m1screant]

Hmmm, if i remember correctly, Genetic species has a patch that you can download to allow you to run in higher bit planes. If you want, i can email you the patch if its not available on the marble eyes website.

I dont think it runs any better with a voodoo than an aga chip, although it is pretty spritely if you use an 060. I'm not techy minded so i cant tell you why this is.

As for Bubble heroes, try reinstalling it, i have had no problems with using the RTG version in the mode i mentioned before.

Bye.

[MarkAshley]

m1screant wrote:
Hmmm, if i remember correctly, Genetic species has a patch that you can download to allow you to run in higher bit planes. If you want, i can email you the patch if its not available on the marble eyes website.

Thanks. There is an updated executable on the Marble Eyes web site, but according to them in higher resolution it will only achieve 5fps on an 060/50!!! Don't think I'll bother...

m1screant wrote:
I dont think it runs any better with a voodoo than an aga chip, although it is pretty spritely if you use an 060. I'm not techy minded so i cant tell you why this is.

Is that the same for all games, or just GS?

m1screant wrote:
As for Bubble heroes, try reinstalling it, i have had no problems with using the RTG version in the mode i mentioned before.

OK, thanks I'll try it.

[MarkAshley]

Hi

I reinstalled Bubble Heroes and it's working now. I'm a little disappointed it won't run in higher resolutions, but at least it works on my VGA screen. Seems lazy to me to implement RTG support but not have any high res graphics!

I am disappointed with Genetic Species. I hope other games will perform better on the Voodoo.

Thanks for your help
Mark

[doctorq]

@MarkAshley

Either you have expected too much of your Amiga, or you have something wrong with your system. Genetic Species flies here with Mediator/Voodoo3.

[MarkAshley]

Well to give you an idea of the performance at higher resolutions, if I press a key in the menu if Genetic Species then there is a noticable delay before anything happens. The game itself jerks along at I would guess is about 2fps, and also suffers a noticable lag when pressing keys (ie press fire button, wait a second or two, then the gun fires.

I'm using a Blizzard 1240 with 128Mb RAM, a Mediator SX with a Voodoo 3 3000.

What could be wrong :-(

[MarkAshley]

MarkAshley wrote:
Well to give you an idea of the performance at higher resolutions, if I press a key in the menu if Genetic Species then there is a noticable delay before anything happens. The game itself jerks along at I would guess is about 2fps, and also suffers a noticable lag when pressing keys (ie press fire button, wait a second or two, then the gun fires.

I'm using a Blizzard 1240 with 128Mb RAM, a Mediator SX with a Voodoo 3 3000.

What could be wrong :-(

Update - The game is playable (just) at 320x240, but when I change to 640x480, it's unbearably slow. It even takes ages to draw the text in the menus  :-?

[Lemmink]

You should have said that you only have an 040 in the first place, maybe even only at 25 MHz. Don`t even think about high resolution if you don`t have an 060.
The VooDoo can`t help you there at all, as all the rendering and calculation is done by the CPU alone.
To get a noticeable speedgain out of the VooDoo you have to try games that support 3D Hardware, for example Quake or Payback.

As for genetic species: since the crucial part is the speed from CPU/RAM to GFX-card RAM every ZorroIII GFX-card in an A4000 will mob the floor with your setup. An A3/4000 Mediator would be a different story.

To get the most out of any PCI GFX-card setup you really should habe 060 minimum better PPC. Anything less and the only advantage you could expect is that you can run you WB in really high resolution in truecolor.

[MarkAshley]

Thanks for the info

*starts saving for a PPC*
:roll:

[Rod_cl]

Any ideas where to get a ppc board these days? Specially for my A3000 and A4000.

Rod

[doctorq]

Update - The game is playable (just) at 320x240, but when I change to 640x480, it's unbearably slow. It even takes ages to draw the text in the menus  :-?

I have just played around with my A1200 in order to test some hardware, and for fun I just tried to play around with Genetic Species, which was the game you had problems with. It was very playable in that odd screenmode called 320 x 250, but if I changed to 640 x 480 it would just jump back to the second highest; dunno why, but no concern here.

As said, the game was very playable, even with second highest screenmode, and high detail. Of course, it could have been better, but still very playable. Played it on a A1200 with BlizzardPPC 040/160, 64 MB, Mediator ZIV (which uses the same core as the Mediator SX I think) with Voodoo 3. The PPC CPU obviously did it's part ;-)