Updated Alien Breed 3D 2

[Karlos]

Thanks. The showconfig output supports the hypothesis that a memory access in a particular address space is the culprit

[BozzerBigD]

@utri007

Does it guru during initial load up of the application or does it happen randomly during play?

There is a bug in the engine already identified that appears to be an illegal memory access relating to opening the screen. This is totally reproducible in UAE where the binary won't start without allocating "32-bit chip ram" (a new class of chip ram not related to the original 2-8MB setting, lives in a different address range). Allocating that memory likely prevents a bus error from the access.

Crashes my Cyberstorm 060 AGA Amiga on loading too. Under OS3.1, OS3.5 and OS3.9. Just a white screen lock up under 3.1 but crashes and reboots under 3.5 and 3.9.

[Karlos]

Can you include a showconfig output?

[BozzerBigD]

Can you include a showconfig output?

Done see above.

[Karlos]

For anyone interested, the latest builds are achieving a consistent 10-15 FPS on 68030 (ACA1230 @ 56MHz) in 1x1 at the default 2/3 screen size now, with peaks of 18. For a Blizzard 1260 @ 50MHz that rises to 20-25 with peaks of 30.

Other things of interest:
- Fullscreen floor/ceiling textures are now the same relative scale as they are in 2/3 size. This was a bug since the original game.
- Last traces of floor wobble eliminated.
- Keymap changes to assist emulators and other machines without an Amiga numeric pad: F10 for screen size F9 for pixel mode (1x1 or 1x2 only at this time)
- F8 can be used to simplify the lighting model (temporary key binding, will be combined with the current dynamic lights option on F4 later). This can give a significant performance boost at the cost of some reduction in lighting complexity.

To get the latest build, see: https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=1608647&postcount=2007

[Karlos]

Here's something you don't see every day:

AB3D2 running on 030/50 + Indivision/ECS CDTV:

https://youtu.be/_Yeq_bsSftE?si=_BvBMmbqa1QgEy0i

I think I'm correct in saying that it's running this well in spite of the 16-bit bus into the Indivision.

[Karlos]

A general update for those that don't know. Higher level optimisations are being made to the engine to try and eliminate the worst slowdowns. These are caused by limitations and bugs in the original engine that cause parts of the level to be drawn and then covered up by a closer wall. The latest build deals with a bunch of those but we still have that problem for closed doors and blocked lifts, which is where the next round of work will be focused.

EAB member coachman has performed a performance analysis of the most recent build with these changes, the previous build before it, the original WHDL slave+turbo patch and original game, on 060/80+AGA (PDF is attached to his post but you may need to be logged in to see it).

Compared to the original team17 release, improvements range from 2.25x to 2.75x depending on the scene. Compared to the WHDL+Turbo patch, improvements are around 1.5x to 1.8x.

[utri007]

Game is very enjoyable now. Thanks!

[BozzerBigD]

@Karlos

Please, where are the latest build files?

This link no longer works:

https://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=1608647&postcount=2007

[utri007]

@Karlos

Please, where are the latest build files?

This link no longer works:

Gotta say that getting it hasn't been very easy. It would be nice to have the original game with a new executable and your mod available from the same location. Another one is the Breathless game, which is virtually impossible to find or even notice. Hopefully, this gets some kind of solution.

[BozzerBigD]

@utri007

So could you help me find the build files? Thinking of getting my A1200 Pistorm32 machine out!

[Karlos]

As a work in progress, we don't really have a release cycle. Builds tend to happen once we've merged some new feature that we consider stable and releasable. We aren't really doing anything with the game data files and I certainly have no desire to either, so once you have those, it's just executables.

[BozzerBigD]

And the latest are merged with your latest build as of now? Sorry, the A1200 is up and running and working with the Miracle Piano Teaching System for the kids this Christmas time!

[Karlos]

They were on the Zone at EAB, but I think the upload expired.

[Karlos]

I have reuploaded the last stable build to the Zone at EAB.

[BozzerBigD]

Cheers! Happy New Year! Will have a go tomorrow!